TLK III: Dawn and Dusk in the Circle of Life
by Cogitor
Summary: Simba's rule reached a peak with the reunion of the prides, but as hatered still festers both within and outside of the pride, most notably present in a resurgent hyena clan, any futile incident could easily shater the percieved idile. Reviews, please?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Great, clouds gathering... A nice, bone chilling storm is about the last thing we need now. But then again, nothing has gone our way today (or any day for that matter) it seems. Hey, that ought to teach me: if you want to waste your time chasing myths, rumors and phantoms, all you can hope to get is hungry, and a wet fur if you are stupid enough to pick the rainy season to go adventuring (and indeed, we are stupid enough to do so)…  
Right, like I had any choice to begin with. Vitani this, Vitani that... Oh well… Guess a little rain won't (and can't) stop me from doing what I have to do: following orders. That's how hierarchy works, like it or not: Zira says, I obey. I can't escape that just because of some insignificant orbs of water falling from the sky.  
Nonetheless, the sooner we get this over with, the better: spending the day with my o-so-adorable brothers, who have been arguing and irritating each other from dusk till dawn it seems, is about as fun as beating your head into a rock for hours on end, and it yields similar amounts of headache, no doubt. If we were to fail our assignment, and we will, chances are it's because those bloated egos of theirs crowded out anyone we could have ever come across. That, and their incessant bickering. Not to mention the risk of an ambush, since we are walking through a canyon, the perfect place to waste any lion-trio that draws far too much attention to themselves. Maybe it's time I tried getting that through their thick lion-sculls. _

"I don't suppose you've ever come across the term 'discretion' in your limited vocabularies?" 

Nuka interrupted his discussion with Kovu, glaring at Vitani with the most arrogant grin he could muster. 

"Oh my, looks like my baby sister has learned a new word, now isn't that nice?" 

"How nice indeed… What are you worrying about anyway, sis? Why on earth would we want to behave discreet? Scared of the hyenas, maybe? Come on now, what could a bunch scruffy, emaciated scavengers ever do to us?" Kovu yawned, trying to behave relaxed. His eyes, however, betrayed him: he was feeling just as uncomfortable as Vitani was. Who could blame them: their surroundings, consisting of sand, rocks, sharp cliffs and the sorry excuse for vegetation you could usually only find in a grade-A wasteland, combined with a dark and unsettling pack of clouds above their heads, could only be described as overly depressing at best. Vitani figured even the Elephant Graveyard was worth a visit over this place. The mere thought of having to spend one more second in out in these grim surroundings sent a shiver down Vitani's spine.

"Haha, everyone's a comedian. Do me a favor and do at least try to keep up the appearances. This isn't a damn field trip; some of us are still actually trying to execute their orders in a serious manner. It's got nothing to do with being scared, but everything with hehaving professionally. And don't tell me you don't understand that word either. And besides, talking about being scared…" Vitani paused, "I'm getting the feeling there are worse things out here than just hyenas for us to get scared about…"

The party paused, Nuka being ahead of the other two lions. With an unnerving smile, he turned around and slowly strode towards his younger companions. Feeling uneasy and unnerved, Kovu chose to break the unnatural silence that had descended upon them by now.

"Vitani, drop the gloomy mood already. Nothing here but sand and rocks, I mean, what could possibly be out here?"

Nuka's smile darkened even further, as he was really amused at the fear displayed by both his brother and sister. He approached Kovu, who backed up a little.

"That's the question, isn't it? What could possibly be out here for us to fear?" he whispered

Kovu inched further towards Vitani, shivering barely noticeable. This, of course, made Nuka even more motivated to continue what he himself considered a humorous performance.

"Some say that way back, there indeed used to be hyenas out here...  
They came here after their crushing defeat at the pride rock, four years back. Or no, they didn't come here, they ran here, ran as the Pridelanders mercilessly hunted them down, every sorry one of 'em. Thus, the hyenas fled until there was nowhere else to flee but here, since we, pitiful outlanders, had taken what they used to call their homelands. But they found nothing here but sand, rocks and death. And so they perished, one by one, starving to death, even turning on each other in the end…" Nuka uttered in the most ghastly manner, glaring at Kovu, "But even though their bodies have long since disappeared, their spirits live on, angry, full of vengeance. The kings of old only know what they might do to three lonely lions venturing into their realm, unaware of what danger lurks in the shadows…"

And as if Nuka had planned it so, upon uttering the last phrase, heavy thunder echoed down through the canyon the moment he closed his mouth. As one could have come to expect, both Vitani and Kovu yelled out in fear, be only for a short time. Once they had come back to their senses, Nuka broke out in the most annoying laughter, utmost amused at his own sense of humor. But before Vitani or Kovu even had the time to get back at him, it seemed like Nuka's laughter echoed back at them, only louder, more shrill, with a grim touch to it. In one word: terrifying. In a rush of panic, all three lions stared into the dark canyon ahead of them, as Vitani mumbled with a voice that sounded like it was stuck somewhere in between anger and fear:

"Oh right, why bother being cautious for but one second, there's nothing here but sand, rocks and death…"

Kovu by now figured it would be best if he didn't say anything; this obviously wasn't the time or place for witty remarks. Meanwhile, Nuka limited his response to an offensive gesture as his mouth felt too dry for a verbal comment. The lions cautiously ventured forward to locate the source of their terror. As the laughter faded away, an unsettling silence set in, seeming even scarier than the shrill laugh that had startled them.

The lions suddenly froze, as they heard a deep, slightly deformed and coarse voice behind them.

"Boo…"

_Great. We've had it. Yeah, no doubt about it, we're goners. Or aren't we? Like hell that is a ghost, those aren't real…I hope. Well, just standing here being paralyzed with fear probably won't do me any good, so I might as well try turning around. And keep my cool, yeah, got to keep my cool. I know them brothers of mine won't; they'll probably just start roaring into thin air. It all comes down to me then? Somehow, I don't find that thought all too comforting. Enough! Vitani, just calm down. Calm down and turn around, 'cause there's nothing to see here… I need a vacation, I need a drink, I need something to eat, I need to get some sleep… but first, I've got to turn around…_

As Vitani turned around to have a look behind her, she couldn't see any changes at first. No-one there… or wait… Correction: no-one except for the lonely, gray figure that had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Well, gray… at least, it looked gray. Then again, everything started looking gray at dusk, especially with a thick pack of dark clouds above your head to further dim-out the sun.  
The figure appeared to be, as Vitani had expected, a hyena. At least, that was what she presumed since she had never actually seen a hyena: they had already fled their lands by the time Vitani was born. But it looked more or less like what her mother had described as being a hyena: scruffy, paled spots, long forelegs, big jaws, big ears, black muzzle, short manes… But there was something missing on this guy: his right eye. As a matter of fact, the entire right side of his head looked like one big scar, his ear being torn apart as well. A lion's claw had been the cause of that, definitely. Furthermore, the right side of his thin body and head were covered in… burns? Considering how the hyena looked, she wasn't so sure anymore about him not being a ghost. By now, Vitani's brothers had turned around as well. For seconds on end, they just stared. Suddenly, the ghostlike figure spoke again, giggling.

"Obviously you haven't ever seen a ghost before…" he grinned, though his single, pale-green eye spoke not of amusement, but only of cold hate (for the time being). While all three lions were at first indeed confident of him being a ghost, Vitani quickly regained her calm and was the first to speak out, surprisingly defiantly.

"Like I said, everyone's a comedian. You just plan on sitting there, further entertaining us with your high quality comedy? Or maybe you've got something usefull to say, like who it is you are, where it is we are and why you snuck up on us? I suggest you start talking, for your own sorry good…"

Surprisingly, the hyena just kept on giggling, in spite of Vitani's threat, failing to respond. The lions didn't really understand why the hyena kept defying them, as he was outnumbered three to one after all; pretty bad odds for a hyena. Come to think of it, he was actually the one in trouble; he should be the one shuddering in fear. By now, Kovu's annoyance over being mocked by an inferior life form had made the lion realize all that, triggering a more assertive attitude from his part.

"Hey, comrade one-eyes, how 'bout letting us in on the joke before we mash you to a pulp?"

The hyena didn't seem to mind the mockery concerning his appearance, although his tone changed from amused to grim, even mean. That probably had something to do with Kovu's rather blunt threat

"Just a déjà vu, two-eyes, déjà vu. Curious lions that stray from the pride always seem to bump into me… I just hope this time, it's gona be a happier ending on my part."

"Gee wiz, it can count too… two-eyes, what a pun. I wonder whether he bothered to count us too, 'cause he'd notice he's alone, and there are three of us. How 'bout tuning it down a bit?" Nuka growled as he approached the hyena, halting only inches from him. The hyena, however, didn't move one inch, in spite of Nuka now standing right in front of him. That was when Vitani realized the hyena hadn't come alone, although she should have figured that one out way sooner; that's called common sense. She also remembered that instead of pissing the hyena off to the best of their abilities, it might be wise to be a bit more polite, as they still had an assignment to fulfill: seeking an alliance with the hyenas.  
Indeed, the lion trio had come to seek out the hyenas to forge a pact (aimed against the Pridelanders, of course). The motivation for that was simple: Zira's original plan to topple Simba, which she still had to reveal to her underling, by the way, required the use of minimal force. But every good plan needs a decent backup-plan. Zira's backup-plan was to use brute force, to storm Priderock head-on, and the backup-plan's chances of success increased with the number of allies Zira would be able to gather. And she also had to take into consideration that the hyenas too were a part of Taka's legacy, the legacy she defended. So why not invite them in on all the fun?  
But as things were looking now, Vitani feared that getting out alive would already prove to be a real stunt to pull, let alone engage in some friendly diplomacy: the hyena they had met didn't look all that pleased with the lions appearance.  
Vitani's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard a sound she'd been expecting all along: the ticking of claws on the canyon rocks behind her. They were surrounded, as one could have reasonably expected. As they tried to suppress their panic, Vitani and Kovu turned around to face the new threat. Meanwhile, Nuka was still staring at the hyena who sat only a few inches in front of him. If it hadn't been for his dark fur, Nuka would have turned pale, as he was not at ease, to say the least, staring at the hyena's yellowish fangs.

Vitani saw him as she turned around: another lonely, gray shade, casually striding towards them. Vitani didn't know what annoyed her the most: her and her brothers' own incompetence, or the talent these hyenas had developed in the field of stealth and secrecy. Both presented a threat, although she also considered skillful hyenas would of course make better allies. If they didn't kill her first, of course. Hoping to avert such unpleasant fate Vitani focused on the figure approaching her. He actually looked quite different from the mangled hyena behind her. Although the hyena was just as skinny as his companion (probably a result of a scarce Wastelands-diet), his face, for one, looked different in that it was unharmed, and his nozzle was a bit darker, and pointier. He had a darker tan altogether, so he probably was younger than his mutilated counterpart, Vitani realized. But the thing which truly put him apart were his manes: thick and way darker, and his fuzzy ears. All that, and his eyes. Come to think of it, he looked nothing like the other hyena. But those eyes… She only noticed those as he came closer. Not pale and green, but a deep, dark brown. She couldn't help but stare, and he stared back, into her unusually blue eyes. None said a word. The silence was so unbearable, Vitani actually felt relieved when the ticking of small rocks falling down into the canyon reached her ears. Kovu looked up, and as he had come to expect, about half a dozen big, though also skinny, hyena's stared back. Vitani could see them too, and judging by their size, they were all females, bigger and more threatening than the two who males that sat in the gorge with the lions. The lions, all of whom were scared shitless by now. Fearing this day to be their last, the lions rallied into a defensive triangle. The hyenas on the other hand, didn't move.

"Right boss, what do we do now?" the one eyed hyena suddenly asked his younger counterpart.  
The 'boss', the younger, dark hyena, didn't say a word, but instead signaled two of the females above him, who immediately sought their way down and took position alongside the 'boss'. He then approached the lions, keeping his gaze fixed upon Vitani, who started growling as he got too close, as not to reward his arrogance. Strangely though, his look wasn't threatening. For a moment there, Vitani even thought he looked rather… charming? For a hyena, be it. The 'boss' suddenly spoke out with a slow, deep but still very hyenaish voice.

"You know, Banzaï, you really shouldn't be calling me boss…"

"Sorry b… Vincent, nasty habit, 's all. But what are we gonna do with them? From the looks of it, I'd say they're Outlanders, not fat enough to be Pridelanders."

Vitani wasn't sure whether that was an insult or a compliment.

"And that matters how?" Vincent asked.

"Well, you know the saying. Or maybe you don't, not the point…" Banzaï shrugged, "'The enemy of my enemy…' and so on and so forth. I mean, they're in a cold war with the Pridelanders, maybe we just ought to listen to whatever it is they have to say, if anything. That couldn't hurt, right?"

Vitani sensed an opportunity, and before the other hyena could reply she had already started talking, as quick, self assured and confident as she could in the given situation, fearing it'd be the only chance she'd get at opening her mouth before the hyenas started getting hostile.

"Indeed, you should listen! Because it just so happens that we're here not to spy or sneak around, but to have a civilized meeting, a polite chat even between potential allies…"

But as smooth and slf confident as it might have sounded, Vincent ignored her intervention, for now.

"I know they're Outlanders. But Outlanders are still lions. We have our orders when it comes to lions, whether we like 'em or not. Our irders didn't include any affirmative action aimed at Outlanders," Vincent grinned at Banzaï, after which he addressed Vitani.

"Anyway… You say you came here to forge an alliance? That's why you're here, right? To enlist us for one of your devious plans."

Vitani nodded, now again fearful because she could about guess what Vincent's orders concerning lions were. And as if he could read her mind, the hyena's gaze hardened as he spoke to her again.

"For one, it's not within my authority to conclude an alliance. Even if it were, I would be inclined to decline your proposal. I suggest you go find your cannon fodder elsewhere; we're through doing someone else's, and especially lions', dirty work. And then there are my orders still, stating I am to kill any lion that crosses our borders…"

Such statement left little room for interpretation indeed. That being said, everyone braced for combat. For obvious reasons, however, no-one seemed willing to commence the seemingly inevitable slaughter, Banzaï least of all. The hyena was quick to voice his concerns.

"Wow, hold it, lets not rush things here… We shouldn't interpret orders to the letter, you know, they're more like guidelines anyway. The way I see it, there are three of you lions, and about ten of us… If we fight it out, you're all goners, and we win, though we'd have to go home telling a handful of pups their mom ain't coming back no more. I'd prefer to avoid that for the time being… but that's just me, of course."

Kovu wanted to comment it was to be expected of hyenas they'd prefer running off in stead of standing their ground in a decent fight, but since he preferred going home in one piece too, he kept his mouth shut. Luckily, Nuka had come to the same conclusion. Banzaï continued.

"Besides, the border is like, what? A mile, half a mile from here? Maybe it'd be best if we… misplaced it for the time being."

_What? Only half a mile? I knew it, I knew it! But did those blockheads bother to listen? Nooo... "Females can't cope with directions, blah, blah, blah…", yeah right. No wonder we didn't find those stupid hyenas at first, we hadn't even reached their land yet, probably going around in damn circles… Well, guess that's the last time I'm letting Nuka lead the way, that's for sure…_

Vincent seemed to think about Banzaï's suggestion for a while, when he suddenly addressed Vitani.

"Well, Sunshine, you're awfully silent and gloomy all of a sudden. What do you suggest I do?"

"Huh? Me? Eh… Well I… we," Vitani stuttered, "I say we refrain from slaughtering each other… then you get us to that border of yours, and we all go home in peace… in one piece, if possible. And then you pretend this never happened… no?"

Vincent grinned, and as he was a hyena, it was hard to tell whether he meant it to be friendly or menacing: it just looked… mean, to oversimplify the matter, and even slightly vicious. Even when he tried to grin in a rather friendly manner.  
The hyena looked up at his clanmates, who were still positioned above them.

"Well, you heard the lioness… What do think? No-one got a moral issue with that proposal? You're all fine with it?"

The biggest, though not the oldest, female replied.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think Banzaï's right; I promised my Keavy I'd take her out hunting tomorrow, so she'd be real disappointed if I didn't come home tonight. But well follow your lead, sir, to whatever end."

"My thoughts exactly… Right... That settles it?" Vincent asked Vitani, "We'll… escort you to the border, make sure you don't get hurt: this is a nasty place after all. Accidents will happen, especially when one of you wanders off without our permission."

"How nice of you, looking out for us so," Vitani replied as she tried to sound amused in stead of cynical.

"Right then, we haven't got all day. We'll take the lead, Banzaï and two of you close the group, and you cover the flanks," Vincent quickly instructed his squad after everyone had seemingly agreed on Vitani's suggestion, "Needles to say the lions take the middle position."

The odd group set off. Given the unusual company they found themselves in, everyone felt uneasy at best, especially Kovu, who whispered to Vitani:

"I don't trust these guys… I think they're up to something…"

"Loosen up, at least were still alive. And we're going the right way, ain't we? Well, at least that's what I think; we were pretty lost, only the Kings of Old know what the right way was… Besides, the hyena in charge looks okay."

"Okay? He looks like a hyena to me."

"No way, you noticed too?" Vitani giggled, utmost amused at her lame joke, "That reminds me… the hyenas aren't the only ones around here with orders. Zira told us we had to negotiate an alliance…."

"Ain't happening. He's already said no."

"He already said he'd whack us too, but here we are, alive and well. Besides, it won't hurt to ask…"

"Whatever, just don't get us killed, all right?" Kovu shrugged. With those last encouraging word from her brother, Vitani tried moving up the group, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Sunshine, if you want to talk, just talk, no need for your thinly veiled subtility And try smiling for a change," Vincent grumbled at her without even looking back.

"You too aren't exactly looking like a bundle of joy, you know…" Vitani mumbled just that tiny bit too loud.

"Yeah, I know, but me grinning would just scare you," Vincent grinned, immediately proving his point, "Besides, I just disobeyed direct orders, something I don't find particularly amusing, whilst you on the other hand had your life spared..."

"Good point," Vitani frowned, looking at Vincent's fangs as he grinned, "Thanks by the way, for the life-sparing part, it's not exactly every day my eternal enemy decides to pardon me..."

"The pleasure's all mine Sunshine."

"The name's Vitani, by the way..."

"Well than, nice meeting you, Vitani. I'm Vincent."

"Talking 'bout awkward…" Vitani mumbled.

"What, my name?"

"No… though it does sound unusual… It's just awkward we're having this chat. Being eternal enemies and all. Being supposed to hate each other and all…"

"What makes you think I don't?"

"Huh? Us talking for one!"

"Well, let me put it this way: Vincent might like Vitani, but that doesn't stop the hyena Vincent from hating the lioness Vitani. Liking you as a person doesn't mean I can't hate you for what you are: a lion."

"That's comforting… just make sure you leave the person Vitani alone, I think the lioness Vitani would appreciate that," Vitani frowned, "But that still sounds absurde… I don't hate you for what you are, for one. I mean, I hadn't even seen a hyena in my life before we stumbled upon you guys, why even bother hating you?"

"That's where we differ, I'm afraid. I've seen lions one too many time, and I've seen what they do… what they do to us. And I'm afraid that what I've seen leaves little room for mutual understanding…"

Suddenly, Vincent paused.

"And here's where our ways part," he said, pointing at a small river at the end of the gorge: the border, "I appreciated your company, as a person. But now, as a hyena, I must ask you and your cronies to bugger off, and, if you favor your lives, never set foot in our realms again."

"I'm more of a "bye-bye"-person myself…" Vitani replied yawningly.  
Vincent grinned at her remark, and again it made him look mean at best.

"Bye, Vitani."

Without further hesitation, the three lions crossed the shallow stream, back into their homeland. Of course, as to display their superiority, none of them looked back or said a word, not until they were out of hearing distance anyway. As soon as they were, however, Kovu immediately addressed his sister.

"That didn't exactly sound as if you were negotiating an alliance, you know…"

Nuka, who had remained silent for an unusually long (to Nuka's standards anyway) amount of time, engaged in the conversation as well.

"It sounded more like she was planning on promoting intermamalian breeding efforts."

"What? With hyenas? Ah Nuka, you're just sick, you know that?"

"Pity they didn't join us…" Vitani said, sounding a bit confused.

"Yeah, I bet it is…" Nuka grinned.

"They sure changed a lot… Not quite like mom described them," Kovu noted.

"A couple of years in the Wastelands'll do that to you, we ought to know. I got the feeling we had more in common with them than with those decadent Pridelanders…" Vitani grumbled.

"Illustrating how bad things are on us," Kovu added in a rare stroke of cynicism.

"Touché!" Nuka exclaimed.

Vitani just smiled, silently.


	2. I hate mondays

**I hate Mondays**

Sunrise. Day after day, each and every day, the sun rises. And day after day, each and every day it has the same effect as it still tender, warm rays hit the earth's surface: half of all life got up, the other half sought shelter for a good day's rest. After a few minutes, the sun would become a huge, reddish circle slowly creeping up over the horizon, followed by the warmth of a morning sun. A nice and tender warmth, not like the scorching heat past noon, or the ever chilling feel of dusk. Just a pleasant warmth, sustainable almost till noon. And thus the best time to chill out in the sun, Vitani concluded.

Ever since she had left the barren Outlands, after the death of her mother, to join the pride, it had become somehow what of a routine. A comfortable nap after a hard night's work. If only she had ever done a hard night's work ever since the reunion... Quite to the contrary, Vitani couldn't remember the last time she had had to go through any trouble or any hardship to accomplish anything. Ever since life had stopped to be a day-to-day struggle, after she joined the king's pride that is, her life, not unlike most of the outlanders', had become… well, empty. A glaring, boring emptiness, forcing her to fill her days by taking naps in the morning sun. Indeed, lacking both the harsh surroundings of the outlands that would always ensure a night of toil and hunger, as well as an aim in life (think overthrowing a king and putting her brother on the throne), life had become boring at best. Empty and boring. The only one who really been enjoying himself ever since the reunion was Kovu, who now of course got to play king over the Outlanders in their newly appointed domain, right next to their old one.  
You see, the 'all-knowing' king Simba had noticed (or concluded, or even made op as an excuse to get rid of the Outlanders) the Pridelands could not support a pride too dense, so the Outlanders had been rebased from Priderock towards the north east corner of the Pridelands, right next to and even slightly overlapping their former residence, the Outlands (though no-one bothered to venture there ever again). Although their new residence (about one-third of the Pridelands in size) was considered the lesser part of the Pridelands, it was infinitely better than the Outlands themselves, where the Outlanders formerly resided.  
No-one complained. To the contrary, because, let us face it: Simba had not split-up the pride because the lands could not support a pride so dense, but because the lions themselves could not stand it. It was common knowledge that, even in being reunited and having made peace with one-another, the Pridelanders were glad to again be rid of them smelly, rude Outlanders. The Outlanders, in turn, weren't afraid too admit they preferred not having those smug, up-tight Pridelanders (save for a few reinforcements, whose main duty was to keep tabs on Kovu) around. Besides, Kovu now got some practice at being a king, semi-autonomously ruling over 'his' Outlanders (at which he fared reasonably well). Everyone was a winner it seemed, the pride's cohesion most of all: no more internal friction in the pride meant it became less likely the lions would once again decide to turn on one another. And that, in effect, was the best guarantee for a peaceful and prosperous lion-pride. Who wouldn't sign for that? Well, Vitani, for one, wouldn't: she was bored out of her mind, living in peace and prosperity. Ever since the reunion, more than one year ago already, Vitani couldn't remember the last time she had had some excitement in her now dull life. She needed something thrilling to keep her occupied, or at least fun… Looking at it from that perspective, it's not hard to understand why Vitani actually _enjoyed_ the worried look on Kovu's face as he approached the rock which Vitani had claimed for her daily sun-bathing. Maybe something bad and thus exiting had (finally) happened? To annoy her brother a bit, Vitani at first pretended she hadn't noticed him. Until she spotted a lioness trailing him, that was. The more, the merrier! Vitani rolled over to address both lions to have appeared.

"Why good morning baby brother (Vitani was about thirty seconds older than Kovu)! Looking all grim 'n gloomy, I see?"

Kovu apparently wasn't in the mood for irony, or any humor for that matter. Neither was the lioness, but then again, she never was.  
Enyi never smiled, let alone laughed. She never cried either. It was her one true merit, being neither particularly bright nor strong: she seemed to have been born with a distinct lack of emotions, making her perfect for obeying orders, a quality seldom openly, but nonetheless often, appreciated. Vitani could already guess that it was the lioness who was the source of her brother's worrisome gaze.

"Morning sis… sorry to bother you like this, I know your o-so fond of sunbathing," Kovu replied teasingly, "Bbut I presume you've already guessed I didn't come here to discuss the weather. We've got a serious problem on our paws."

"Because of your uncanny talent for making things sound way too serious, I have to say you haven't impressed me this far… But you still continue making that serious face of yours… why?."

"Because my problem is serious. Real serious. Concerning you-me-and-who-knows-who-else serious."

"Sounds good," Vitani yawned as she leapt of her rock, next to Kovu, "You sure it's not just the nerves? You know, the usual panic you seem to descend into each time Simba comes over to visit his daughter, and spy on you while he does?"

"Hey, if you don't believe me, feel free to judge it for yourself, for all I care, Enyi'll gladly fill you in on the details," Kovu shrugged, "You can decide yourself whether you deem the events important enough to spent your precious sunbathing-time listening to me further elaborating on the subject."

"Goody… story time."

As always, Enyi couldn't even muster the faintest of smiles.

"Where do I start, sir? The hunt?"

Kovu nodded, and Enyi started explaining to Vitani what had happened earlier that night.

"It all happened while I was on hunting-duty, last night. As usual, I led a hunting party of six, myself included. However, we didn't seem to have any luck that night as we found almost no prey, and took down even less: nothing. But after a couple of hours spent on failures and screw-ups, we caught the scent of a leopard. Since everyone had become tired of hunting to no avail, I suggested we stalk the leopard a bit and see what he catches: nothing like a free meal. And indeed, as we followed the leopard into some of that annoying tall grass that seems to be poppin' up everywhere, we soon heard a dying groan: jackpot. Relying manly on sound, we then moved in to 'confiscate' the kill. It didn't take us long to find the leopard, who (wisely) took off when he realized his meal was goners. But then, as we were just about to grab the food, competition appeared…"

"I can feel were this is going at…"

"Please, Vitani, let her finish her story, will ya?"

"… as I said, we weren't the only ones who wanted to claim the leopard's snack. Some hyenas appeared, three of 'em. I ordered them scavengers to back-off and leave, but they chose to instead grab the prey. Then, as I was about to warn them they'd better reconsider before I would feel obliged to use lethal force, my overly rash companions decided to attack without orders nor warning, much to my annoyance. Two of them had already encircled the hyenas to that end. But the hyenas attempted a breakout. It was quite amazing really; they acted surprisingly effective and disciplined: all three of them threw themselves at one of our lionesses. Two of 'em grinded her forepaw, and when she tried to bite the third one (this I found particularly amazing), the hyena snapped at the lioness' mouth as she opened it, actually biting of her part of her lip, and more importantly, fending off the bite intended at her. Needles to say the lioness wouldn't be doing a lot of biting after that. Anyway, by then, the others, including me, had intervened. A close friend of the mangled lioness I spoke of earlier managed to pin one of the hyena's down, alive, while the rest of us overwhelmed the second hyena, killing it instantly. Meanwhile the third one was getting away, so me and two others tried to chase it down, but it outran us, probably because a night of hunting had exhausted us more than it had tired the hyena. After a minute or so, we gave up the chase and returned to the others."

"Right, that ought to do," Kovu interrupted, "I'd prefer not hearing the other part again, ever."

"Why?" Vitani wondered, still unnerved a bit because of Enyi's cold, seemingly uncaring manner.

"Trust me on this one… Thank you, Enyi, that's all for now. Go take a nap or something."

"Sir, ma'am," Enyi saluted, after which she took off.

"Why did you interrupt her all of a sudden?" Vitani asked when Enyi was out off hearing distance.

"Because her way of saying things is a bit too… graphic to my tastes. For one, she was just about to describe how they had to drag their wounded friend out here, only to have to drag her away again at my command, 'cause I wouldn't want her upsetting the pride. You know, them screams of pain and such…"

Vitani just stared at Kovu for a while.

"What? But… that's awful!" she finally exclaimed, shocked.

"Bah, you're just not getting the full picture here. Besides, it's not like I'm leaving her to die: her friend is with her as we speak, and with a bit of luck she'll live. No, I just needed to get her away from the pride till I got her story straight, 's all."

"Why would you want to… Oh, I get it… You want to look good in front of the big man, and having to admit you've got hyenas creeping over the border wouldn't really have him think highly of his ambitious son-in-law, now would it?"

Kovu couldn't help but look like he had been caught red-handed as Vitani grinned at him.

"Well, I guess you could persuade the wounded lioness if you talk nice to her… you know, a bit of comforting here and there. She'll definitely fold to a big 'n cuddly guy like you, 'cause if she's as helpless as I think she is, she'll definitely do just that. Who is that wounded lioness anyway?"

"Uh…" Kovu sighed, "Damn, I forgot again… One of the Pridelanders that are supposed to keep tabs on me… Nope, can't remember her name… Hey, what do you expect, Enyi never calls anyone by their names, so when she told me her story…"

"Yeah, I noticed too, why the hell does she do that? Quite frankly, she freaks me out… That aside, how are you going to convince the other lionesses involved to keep their yaws shut to Simba?"

"Well, luckily, Enyi came straight to me before even letting her party near the rest of the pride; we could still keep all this under wraps. And another 'stroke of fortune' (of sorts): as Enyi told me that story of hers, she also noted some of her companions had admitted to have displayed… 'disturbing' behavior while she had been occupied trying to chase down the hyena that got away. I think that information might come in handy."

"Huh?"

"You know how I said Enyi could get a bit graphic at times? Well, one of Enyi's companions had described to her, down to the nasty details, how they… well, kind of tortured the hyena they had gotten alive to death. Enyi passed on that disturbing report to me. Trust me; you wouldn't want to hear any of it. "To make her pay for their wounded friend", the offenders had explained. But Enyi got the impression they had actually enjoyed what they had done, and were proud of it as well. You can say a lot about Enyi, but at least she isn't very tolerant of cruelty (probably because she considers it a as just another distorted display of emotions). Anyhow, needless to say such crude behavior is unsuitable of any lion, which I thoroughly and brutally explained to the offenders once they got here, and the only way I would let 'em off without some 'pedagogic' punishment would be if they kept their mouths shut, now and forever."

"No wonder we're always gnawing at one another," Vitani sighed in disgust, "If idiots like them keeping pulling hideous stunts like that, we'll still be fighting the hyenas when hell freezes over…"

"Probably," Kovu agreed, "But on the upside, those lionesses' own stupidity has ensured they won't talk to Simba. We all know the king isn't really the sadistic type; those lionesses will think twice before telling Simba they enjoyed the suffering another living being, even if it only was a hyena. I'm pretty sure they won't mention their encounter with the hyenas to our king, fearing that I might reveal the more sinister details."

All right, so that's been taken care of, no?" Vitani reasoned, starting to lose interest, "I mean, none of the lionesses will mention the hyenas to Simba now that you can blackmail them. Case closed. So why on earth did you come over hear to let me in on your little cover-up? Where do I enter the picture?"

"Quite simple really: I'm confident everyone had already guessed hyenas were entering our lands from time to time, even without any of us openly admitting it, or talking about it. But all signs point in that direction. However, up until today, thanks to their apparently newly developed knack for secrecy, we never sighted a single hyena ever since I took charge around here, or at least no-one bothered to report it when they did see one. But I figured quite some time ago it was becoming obvious they were crossing the border on a regular basis, so I concluded it might not have been a bad idea to… well, broker some kind of deal with 'em, agree on some guidelines, to avoid situations like we had tonight: things like that could escalate. And good rules make good neighbors. But since we never actually got to see one of those sneaky bastards, and because the subject is rather… touchy with the Pridelanders, I figured it'd be best if I didn't rush the matter…"

"You damn right it's touchy," Vitani interrupted him, "Simba'll probably eat you alive if he finds out you, of all lions, are even as much as thinking about doing dealings with hyenas. Should bring back a nice pile of nasty memories."

"Well, yeah, if you want to put it that way…" Kovu shrugged, faintly annoyed, "Anyhow, I think it ought to be better if from now on, I gave those negotiations a somehow what higher priority: my procrastination has already caused injury to one of our lionesses. And now that Simba is coming over, I'd like to avoid him bumping into any hyenas; he'd be less than amused if that were to happen."

"And you want to make sure an agreement is reached before Simba visits us, right?" Vitani smiled, amused at the glaring transparentness of Kovu's intentions, "You want to make an agreement with the hyenas, to make sure they at least keep their smelly selves out of our domain for the duration of Simba's visit? I don't know… If Simba came here and encountered a hyena, he'd probably scold you and beat the hyena to a pulp. But if he found out you're doing deals with the hyenas, you'll be the one getting the beating."

"The old man, beating me up? Not likely!" Kovu grinned, "But you are right about me preferring him not hearing about those planned agreements I'd like to make with the hyenas. That's why I'm sending you to the hyenas as my personal emissary."

"What?" Vitani gasped.

"Well, it's obvious I need someone I can trust, sis. And someone who can keep things under wraps, if necessary, if I want to avoid Simba's wrath. Besides, from what I recall, last time we met some hyenas, you and them got along fine…"

"You mean you're sending me into enemy territory, alone, after we iced two of their clan mates? Isn't that a wee bit dangerous? Or do you think I'm too stupid to realize that?"

"No, I think you're a loyal and trustworthy sister to whom I would entrust my life. And I also think you're bored to death and in need of some suspense, before you were to vegetate. You have to admit, this can't be anything but exciting!" Kovu suggested grinningly.

"You got me there…" Vitani admitted. She was actually starting to like the idea. It had been an awful long time since she had done something exiting… and the thought of going against the will of 'her' king brought back some of her good, old rebellious spirit… But the idea still sounded a bit dangerous, though…

"Right then," she finally agreed, after a minute's though, "Where do I go, what do I tell 'em and when do I leave?"


	3. Subtle diplomacy

**Subtle diplomacy**

"Hey? Anyone in here? Yo, Seko, you in here?"

Seko leapt up, startled, panicking. Darkness all around him. For a second, he feared he was out on the plains again, but the damp darkness of the cave around him brought him back to his senses. He was still in his cave. It must have been hours by now since he sought refuge here, angry, scared, and dead tired. But for all his fatigue, he hadn't slept, not even for one second. He'd been living it over and over again, hours on end: the hunt, the encounter, the fight, the chase… and the return, adter which he witnessed the seemingly endless struggle, after which death must've felt as a release.

"Hey Seko? Come on, spineless creep, I know you're in here. Come on out, the boss needs a word with you."

He had no chance but to obey; he felt troubled enough without having to face the boss' wrath. With all the strength he could muster, Seko got up and dragged himself to the entrance of the cave. Once he reached the exit, he had to avert his eyes because of what seemed like blinding sunlight. That, and Banzaï's hideously scarred face. You'd avert your face for less. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light however, he noticed the sun was already setting. Dusk would kick in soon. Banzaï looked at Seko with disgust as he emerged from his cave.

"Jeez, you look like you been eaten alive by a lion and puked out again… Than again, that almost happened to be the case, right?"

Seko suddenly felt a new burst of energy, anger. How dared he ridicule that what had happened earlier? Weren't even the dead spared from being the tools of Banzaï's ever ongoing effort to humiliate Seko?

"At least I'll get over looking like a corpse in a day or two. You, on the other paw, are stuck with that ugly face of yours for the rest of your days," he gnawed at Banzaï.

Banzaï sighed in nonchalance and turned around: he wouldn't even dignify that with an answer. Seko presumed he had to follow Banzaï to wherever it was they were going. But as every hyena they passed turned around to stare at him, he realized his older clan mate might have had a point when he mentioned Seko wasn't exactly looking like a bundle of flowers: apart from his usual spot ensemble, he still had splats of dried blood all over his fur, not to mention the terrible state of his otherwise quite fashionable manes. Then again, it made him blend in nicely with his surroundings: the wastelands weren't exactly eyecandy to start with, and late Shenzi's husband (by now as dead as she was) hadn't really picked the least of all evils as founding site for the new capital den. To the contrary, their den was located in the single most eerie rock-formation in the whole Wastelands. "Least we not dilute our anger nor forget the pain, even our home shall serve as a grim reminder for all the injustice that is still being wrecked upon us," was how Shenzi's husband (who had chosen this particular den, as previously mentioned) had supposedly put it. Damn psycho, Seko couldn't help but think as he watched the grisly rocks they called home.  
After a minute's walk, they reached a clearing in the scarce vegetation surrounding the desolate den. Two hyenas had been waiting for them, locked in a tense silence. They looked a lot like one another, both dark off fur, with thick manes and large, fuzzy ears. The taller female however, had longer manes and a face both sly and suspicious, looking more like her mother. Her notorious (not to mention rare) gray eyes followed Seko in a worried and compassionate stare as he approached her.

"Right, 'ere he is. I guess you want me to bugger off now?" Banzaï grumbled as he presented Seko.

"No please, stay 'round," the darker male quickly said before Banzaï got the chance to leave, "I'm sure we'll need your experience on this one."

"Besides, we wouldn't want to keep a good friend like you ignorant. If anyone got the right to know what's going on at all time, it's you," the female added.

"Thanks Vincent, Shenya. What's all this fuss about anyways? And what's up with him?" Banzaï asked, pointing at Seko.

"Sis, you wanna tell him, or should I? No, wait, maybe it were fitting if we leave that to the hyena in question, he might have some interesting contributions to make…" Vincent proposes, gazing at Seko.

"What, me?"

They nodded.

"Quite frankly… I'd rather not…"

"You're not helping here, you know…" Vincent sighed, Come on, do yourself a favour and make yourself useful for a change."

"Hey, give him a break, will ya?" Shenya snapped upon hearing Vincents thinly veiled insult. She moved closer towards Seko.

"It's hard enough for him as it is…"

"Apparently," Vincent noted scornful, "Right then, I guess it's up to me to summarize the past night's events… Right, so last night, our sensitive friend over here was out on a hunting trip, beyond the border, with two companions…"

"Keavy and Nya," Shenya interrupted.

"Yeah, them. Anyway, it seems like they either didn't quite follow foreign hunting protocol, or weren't careful enough, because they got spotted by a group of lions."

"Hey, it had nothing to do with that, it was the tall grass! We were as careful as one could be!" Seko exclaimed to his defense.

"I bet you were. And now stop interrupting me, will ya? To make a long story short: two of ours, Keavy and Nya, didn't make it back. But fortunately, Seko here was able to flee the field and save the day," Vincent concluded, suggesting rather bluntly that cowardice was at the base of the tragedy. This, of course, enraged both Seko and his life partner, Shenya, who responded immediately and fiercely.

"For heavens sake, Vincent, shove it! Try showing some damn respect for a change! We're talking about our clanmates here, not some piece of prey we lost on the way, like you make it sound. And another thing, our group was outnumbered two to one, what did you expect Seko to do? The only thing he could do in the given circumstances was run for it. And need I remind you he even returned only just after the lions had left? He tried helping out our fallen comrades while he knew those lions were still at large, I'd like to see you do the same."

"I'd prefer he'd have stayed around when the lions hadn't left yet…" Banzaï whispered.

_It all came back, again. He found himself sneaking through the grass once again, tense, scared beyond reckoning, shaking like a leaf. He looked around, listened, tried to catch the lionesses' smell, but they were apparently gone. He crept forward. __Why hadn't they known those lions were around? Why did she have to take the prey, why didn't she just ran?__ Too late now. He could still hear the screams. The sound of them was long gone, but those shrill screams of pain, agony and fear still echoed in his head. Whose were they? One thing he knew for sure, it weren't lions'. Then suddenly, he found them. Nya he saw first, her once mighty posture now reduced to a grayish pile of dirty fur, casting no shadows in the pale moonlight. With dead, empty eyes she stared out into the darkness in front of her, her mouth slightly opened and her back lodged in an unnatural twist. But even her broken figure looked peaceful when compared to Keavy.  
Seko didn't see her at first, and he'd long wish he hadn't: she was laying on her side, eyes closed, and paws lying limply at her side. Gutted. At first, Seko wanted to run away, but then he imagined seeing her chest slowly moving up and down. As he approached to investigate, he saw her head was covered in scars. But she was still alive, he could tell because she was crying softly, breathing irregularly. He sat down next to her, whispered in her ear. She could just barely open her eyes, doing her utmost best to get a glimpse of Seko. He could tell she knew she wouldn't last long just by the look she gave him. Fortunately, she wasn't in pain anymore; there's only so much one can take before your body shuts down your perception of physical pain, Seko had seen it countless times with prey he caught.  
Now it was just the knowledge of dying, of never seeing her family and friends again that tormented her. So Seko tried comforting her, keeping her head close to him, softly licking her muzzle and gently caressing her manes to let her know she wasn't alone. He couldn't think of anything more fearsome than the thought of having to die alone. And for what seemed like an eternity, he just sat there, as she cried, asking about her mother from time to time, recounting in bits and pieces what the lions had done to her. Only moments ago a strong, proud and optimist hyena trying to keep everyone's spirits up by making up puns involving mainly cheetahs, now beaten broken, her belly torn open, only to be left to die. Seko continued talking to her and stroking her, until finally, after what seemed to have been the better part of a lifetime, she closed her eyes and stopped breathing._

"I fail to see how that makes any difference," Vincent sneered at his sister after she was done applauding Seko, "But enough of this. We didn't call this meeting to discuss the past. I'd rather hear your thoughts on what ought to be done now."

"First thing of all, we ought to cut this ridiculous secrecy. The clan doesn't even know what happened to their friends yet, and I don't find it appropriate to keep them ignorant any longer. We ought to announce what happened, and we need to do it now, without any fancycrap," Shenya suggested, provocatively staring at Vincent.

"In time, we will, sis."

"Why not now?"

"Please, don't play stupid. I get where this is going at, you know. We just have to make sure our 'announcement' doesn't spark too much tension."

"I knew it!" Shenya exclaimed angrily.

"Knew what?" Banzaï asked, attempting to figure out why the two hyenas he considered closest to him in the whole-wide world were about to enter a fierce argument.

"Come on, Banzaï, don't you see it? He wants to cower out, again! Our clan members don't return home, and he wants us to sit and do nothing!"

"It's called caution, and it keeps most of us alive… Not that you would know, dear sister, as caution isn't exactly a virtue common to femmes. You prefer to rush in, leaving me to clean the mess."

Instead of responding to her brother's sexist comment, Shenya just sat there and glared at him. The careful observer could have heard the sound of her blunt claws scraping over the rocky surface below her. Meanwhile, Seko stepped in to his partner's defense, his temper fueled by his recollection of that one fatal night.

"Caution? You call that caution? Letting those savages pick us off, one by one? Nya left one orphan already, how many more before you finally get it through your thick skull? We've waited long enough, now's the time to stop your fancy talk and act."

"What do you suggest we do then? We storm the lion den head on? You talk about one orphan; the best we can hope for is twenty more if we were to avenge the damage done this far. Thanks, but no. I prefer we sustain some… marginal losses over absolute obliteration."

If it wouldn't have been for his dark fur, Seko would've turned pale as the moon. 'Marginal losses'. In a single sentence, Vincent reduced Keavy's suffering to mere 'marginal losses'. Seko just couldn't grasp it; it felt as if something snapped within him. The creature sitting in front of him was no hyena; it wasn't even a living creature. In front of him sat the embodiment of indifference, cold and power hungry indifference. He couldn't care less about his clan's suffering; they were just tools to further his ambitions. And like all tools, they were susceptible of marginal loss in efficiency. Vincent didn't care how many died, as long as he could just continue ruling them at his whims, Seko figured. From what Seko could tell, Shenya seemed to think likewise.

"How… how dare you even say that? And all those who gave their lives at Priderock, all those years ago, those were marginal losses as well?" she yelled out in anger. Banzaï tried to defuse the situation, but Vincent brutally interrupted him.

"Please, Banzaï, don't bother. Femmes are immune to reason. That's why dad had to take over in the first place, because female dominance failed us. What happened at Priderock weren't marginal losses; it was just the result of plain old stupidity."

Insulting females was one thing. Him mocking the clan, Shenya could handle. Even a lack of respect for the dead she might have forgiven him. But in desecrating their mother's heritage, Vincent crossed the line. Rage enflamed within her, she couldn't control it anymore nor would she have wanted to do so. Without a seconds notice, Shenya pounced Vincent, her otherwise sympathetic eyes now burning with anger. Whilst uttering various screams and profanities the likes of which I shall not describe here, the two of them engaged in a bitter twist. Banzaï couldn't bring himself to pick side for either of them, as he felt deeply for both. But when Seko appeared to come to the aid of Shenya, Banzaï was quick to slam him onto the ground. Then, while Seko was still somehow what stunned and unable get up, Banzaï intervened to the aid of Vincent, trying to calm down the much larger and more powerful female. When they finally had her more or les pinned down, she seemed to come back to her senses.

"Get off me already! I said get off!" Shenya yelled yelled, as she kicked back Vincent. After she got up, she cast one last angry glare at both Vincent and Banzaï, before taking off with a final angry whoop. Chances were she'd go sobbing in her personal cave, or grind some bones between her teeth to let of some of her tension.

_Seko now knew. He had felt it before, but now he was sure of it. Vincent's existence couldn't be tolerated anymore. That hyena's mere presence was a threat to him, Shenya and even to the clan as a whole, a threat he could not stand any longer. If he ever was to do anything for Shenya, this should be it: eliminating Vincent, so his sister Shenya could finally surge out of his shadow. And it had to happen fast, before he led the whole clan to ruin._

Vincent, beat up and still in his adrenaline-rush, was just about to turn his attention to the still present Seko, when another hyena, seemingly exhausted suddenly appeared. As one could have come to expect, she was quite surprised when she saw Vincent in his present state: panting, his fur full of dirt, and blood dripping down from his nose.

"And what do you want?"

Seeing as she had just run her paws down to the bone to find him, he could have been a little nicer. However, since the newly arrived hyena was utterly exhausted, she limited her speech to a minimum, for the moment.

'I-eh…I've… I got a message for you, sire," the messenger gasped, "Real urgent."

"Yeah, I guessed as much… This better be good news, Sunshine."

For a moment, it looked as if the newly arrived hyena would start talking again, in her very distinguishably hurried and twitchy manner, but she paused to take a breather first.

"It's a message from one off Kali's girls. She said, you're not going to believe this, they've captured a lioness! No kidding, they say they've got a lioness! So I was all like, no way, so I went over to check it out and, dig this, there really was a lioness! And the funny thing is, I mean, what are the chances; that lioness actually asked to see you, Vincent! Said she was like, an envoy or something, but I don't know what the hell that is so I thought like, no way, sod off. But then she said like, tell him it's me then he'll certainly come over, and I was still like, yeah right. But I was kinda curious too, and then Kali suggested I'd come get you so I did and…"

"And here you are, right, I get the picture," Vincent kindly interrupted her, "Calm down, will ya, or you'll drawn in your own verbal flood."

"Hehe, that's for a fact. Anyway, sure sounds like one arrogant furball… Considrin' what they did to us we ought to eat that lioness alive…" Banzaï grinned, "By the way, you mentioned the lioness said you ought to 'like', tell us who she is. I kinda seem to have not heard the part mentioning her name."

"Oh right, gosh I like, forgot 'cause I had to tell a lot and I was like hurried and… oh, right… whoops… eh, I think she said her name was… Vitani, or something."

Vincent and Banzaï paused and looked at each other for a while, partly to annoy the messenger: nothing more irritating than you having to hurry just to find others taking their time, staring at each other. After a while, Banzaï finally addressed Vincent.

"What are you looking at me for? What lioness were you expecting anyway, it's not like you know that much lionesses, you know."

"Yeah… still, it's been a while… Vitani… Didn't really think she'd remember us…" Vincent shrugged.

"You remembered her, didn't ya?"

"Yeah, sure did… damn, this blows… I mean, I wouldn't like to see her get 'eaten alive', you know?"

"No? Well, the I suggest you hurry to your lioness: if Shenya decides to make those killings the lioness' pridemates committed earlier public, I don't think your lioness will last long."

"Yeah, especially with that creep Kali 'round…" Vincent frowned, "Figures she had to be the one to bump into Vitani. Better get this over with quick. Meanwhile, do me a favor and try talking some sense into that blockhead Shenya, would you please?"

"You really shouldn't be calling her names like that, you know. She's the only sister you've got, and besides, she was kinda right: we can't just let what the lions did pass without a proper reaction."

"I know…" Vincent mumbled, "That's what bugs me the most... It's not like I enjoy having to act all sociopath, but someone's got to voice reason 'round here. Well, gota go… tell Shenya I'm sorry, will ya?"

"I'll tell her you want to talk things out tonight and you're prepared to admit you were wrong."

Vincent had the urge to correct that last one a bit, by adding his errors lay mostly in the way he voiced his opinions, rather than in his actual opinion. The messenger, however, all annoyed and worked up by now, practically pushed Vincent from the scene with her anxious stare.  
As Vincent disappeared, Banzaï looked around: talking about Shenya made him remember Seko. But where the hell did that weakling sneak off to? Must've buggered out when that messenger was all talkative, Banzaï considered.

* * *

"So eh… what's up, boss?"

"Don't call me boss, I ain't no-one's boss."

"Right… but what's going on? I mean, with the lioness and all."

Vincent sighed. Seeing as the story of him meeting Vitani involved a lot of not-following-orders, he wasn't really inclined to share too much information. But the messenger was quite persistent.

"We eh… we met at the border… on patrol, long time ago. And in stead off trying to kill each other, we decided a that it would be more desirable to just have a quick chat and then return to our respective duties, ignoring each other. Things like that were still possible, back when them Outlanders weren't just another flavor of them murderous Pridelanders."

"That's nice… We ought to do that more often, just having a chat instead of like, killing each other."

"Indeed…" Vincent yawned.

Suddenly, out of the dense vegetation, Seko appeared. He seemed a bit shocked to bump into Vincent, but made his way back to the den without even bothering to acknowledge the other's existence.

"Nice day to you to, creep…" Vincent grumbled, "What the hell was he doing here?"

"I'm sure he went to check out the lioness, 'cause if like, someone told me 'hey we've captured a real life lioness' I'd sure love to go see it."

"Yeah, probably…"

Vincent didn't pay any further notice to it, and they continued towards where the lion was kept. Vincent noticed they were nearing the White-Pass cliff. The scenery of the river and the White-Passes across the stream you got there was about the only decent sightseeing one could do around hyena territory. When you do, always watch your step though.  
After about half an hour they suddenly spotted a tall, broad hyena blocking their path. Judging by both her size and light fur, it had to be Kali, former heir to the Westclan. As they approached, Vincent also noticed Kiuma and Umwa, the ever present acolytes of Kali. Her other four cronies were nowhere to be seen though, probably guarding Vitani. As usual, Kali seemed a bit disgusted at the sight off Vincent. Kali not getting along with Vincent wasn't that big of a secret. And who could blame Kali, seeing as how Vincent's dad was responsible for the death of Kali's mother, the first and last Westclan matriarch?

"Evening, Vincent. I presume you've come to check out our lion-friend over there?" Kali asked. Vincent couldn't help but notice Kali was trying to act way nicer than he had come to expect of her, but he didn't pay further attention to it.

"I'll take it from here, Kim," Kali suggested, looking at the messenger. Kim nodded, and took off, leaving Vincent alone with Kali's group. Kali apparently wanted to keep the lioness hush-hush too, or so Vincent presumed.

"Right, now where is this mysterious lioness of yours?" Vincent asked, attempting to avoid conversation with Kali, who seemed inclined to do the same and lead the way. After a few meters, they reached a small clearing. There was Vitani, casually stretched out on the ground, trying to look all at ease. Vincent recognized her instantly, as she seemingly hadn't changed one bit. Apart from the fact she had gotten fatter, that was: an abundance of food undoubtedly was one of the many positive effects to the Reunion of the prides. Vincent still remembered when they had first heard about the reunion, about one year ago. To the hyenas, there had been nothing positive to it, quite to the contrary: it had seemed like a nightmare come true.

As Vincent looked behind him, he noticed Kali had disappeared. Come to think of it, neither her nor her cronies, 'the last ones loyal to the Westclan', were anywhere to be seen. Then again, the foliage was as dense as it gets in the Wastelands, so they were probably keeping a low profile: being stuck in the past didn't stop Kali's gang from displaying some much appreciated professionalism. Vincent turned to look at Vitani again, and suddenly realized he had just turned his back to a lion and lived to tell about it…It at least proved she wasn't out to get him.

Not sure what to say, they just stared at each other for a while, until finally Vincent decided to take the initiative and break the eerie silence.

"Awkward?"

"Kind of," Vitani admitted.

"Well, seeing as you came looking for me, I'm guessing there's something you want me to know or something you plan on doing to me…"

Vitani sighed. This was harder than she had expected, maybe Kovu ought to have sent someone who was a bit more eloquent… She'd better cut the small talk, hoping to get this official talk over with as quickly as possible.

"Yep… Eh, I'll be brief, I'm no good at speeches: Kovu wants to cut a deal with you."

"And who's Kovu?" Vincent lied. He knew who Kovu was, who didn't, but he decided to play dumb for a while.

"Hey, come on, I'm cutting the formalities here, you should too. 'The boss' not knowing who Kovu is? Go fool the other one."

"What makes you think I'm some kind of 'boss'?" Vincent frowned, "I'm just a humble male, 's all."

"You ought to know lying only works if everyone is in on the deal," Vitani smiled, "Out of three hyenas I've spoken today, two called you 'the boss', and you're the third one. Busted. What's up with that anyway? You don't have a 'matriarch', or whadaya call her?"

Busted indeed. Vincent's spirits dampened further, as this was turning out to be a really tiring day. He figured he'd better stop lying, only to start avoiding. And insulting, as he had been using some of his spare time to find out about the 'mystery lioness named Vitani' he met about a year and a half ago. He hadn't liked what he had come to find out.

"It's a long story, and I ain't in the mood for talking. Yeah, I know who Kovu is. He's your brother. And I know who his father is too. What do you call him again, nowadays? Taka? Hey, I guess even the lowest of all beings to ever stalk the plains needs a name. I should've known when I first lay eyes upon Kovu, and your other scruffy, now stone dead brother. I should've known when I first looked at you," Vincent grinned viciously, and this time he actually meant his grin to be vicious. Vitani tried to remain stoic: losing her temper would be unfit to a lion. Yeah right, unfit to a Pridelander maybe. She glared back, just as vicious.

"What, you expecting apologies or something? I ain't blaming myself from being born, and besides, last time I remembered, it wasn't me who was stupid enough to follow late Taka to a certain doom. If you decide to blame me because your relatives followed Taka all the way into his and their demise, that would come to show a lot about your intellectual capacities," Vitani noted coldly. Vincent growled at Vitani, barely noticeable, but decided he'd better cut the 'niceties'.

"What do you want? I'm sure Kovu didn't just send you here to piss me off, so spit it out and leave."

Vitani sighed profoundly. She had envisioned this meeting to be a bit more… a bit more what actually? They were enemies, after all, and Vitani's pride had only just killed two of their friends. She decided it be better if she gave in a bit, reluctantly.

'Ok, ok, I'm sorry, let's… Let's try starting over. Kovu sent me over here to negotiate," Vitani explained.

"Negotiate what? Getting more of us killed?"

"Try dropping that negative attitude, I like you much better when you're only mildly gloomy. He has a proposal to avoid certain… unpleasant situations, like what happened tonight."

"Keavy and Nya."

"Huh, what?" Vitani frowned.

"Your unpleasant situations, they got names, you know. Keavy and Nya are the hyenas your pride killed. And Nya's pup growing up without a mom, if she grows up at all, do count her in too… yeah, real unpleasant situation indeed."

"Hey, drop the pathos already, will ya? Look, I'm sorry for you loss, but I had got nothing to do with that; I'm just trying to make sure it don't happen again. Just try being a bit constructive, if you please?" Vitani sighed, "Jeez, you weren't even half the jerk you are now the first time we met."

Vincent considered responding that the first time they met, they hadn't butchered two of their clanmates, but he changed his mind. He knew he was acting like a jerk a little too often nowadays. He tried to smile without looking mean, or sad.

"I know, I know… I'm sorry… It's just… everything... the clan, tonight, your lineage. It's kinda hard to talk to you as if I nothing were wrong, you know. It would have been a whole lot easier if you weren't a lion…"

"Eh, Vincent…" Vitani suddenly asked, a bit confused. She was looking at something behind him. Vincent turned around. Three hyenas had appeared out of nowhere, Vincent immediately recognized Kiuma, one of Kali's subordinate's. He turned to Vitani again. Four other hyenas had appeared behind her, Kali being one of them. Vitani turned around, saw Kali, then turned to Vincent again.

"What's going on?" she hissed, suspicious. Vincent couldn't answer; his mouth had turned dry all of a sudden. He feared he already knew what was going on.

"Kali, what on earth do you think you're doing?" he uttered, at the verge of panic. Kali grinned.

"Sorry, boss, I don't do the thinking. From now on I'm leaving that to our sly friend Seko: turns out he's good at something after all…" Kali growled viciously, "Don't worry, Vincent, Seko explained it to me: it's a win-win. I take my payback, starting with you, and your girlfriend here takes the blame. A lioness killing her brother, now that ought to give good old Shenya something to get worked up about… and if I'm lucky, she'll even smash her own skull on a lions' paw in her fury, good riddance. But first things first… Time for you to pay for what your murderous father did…"

Vitani didn't need Vincent's explanation on this one: she had engaged in enough plots herself to know one when she saw one. It didn't take a genius to see those hyenas were about to get rid off Vincent, and Vitani was to get blamed for it. Needles to say that involved both her and Vincent getting killed, Vitani considered.

"Turn around, and just run like hell…" she whispered at Vincent, and before the petrified hyena even understood what she said, Vitani already leapt forward whilst uttering an incredible roar, landing on one of the hyenas in front off her, smashing it against the ground. But in stead of finishing the job, she jumped forward again, ignoring the hyena she had knocked down, and took a run for it, closely followed by Vincent. As they ran, neither knowing nor caring where they were going, Vitani noticed Vincent was gaining on her, he even passed her by. That could only mean his clanmates were gaining on her as well. But as they ran forth through all sorts of sharp grass and thorny bushes, Vincent suddenly came to a clumsy, hasty halt. Vitani didn't react fast enough and slammed right into him. But in stead of feeling the sharp fangs of Kali and her gang gnawing into her flesh as she had expected, she tumbled down a steep, rock-ridden slope, pushing Vincent out in front of her. She tried to get a hold on the slippery surface, to no avail: she kept sliding faster and faster. Then, suddenly Vincent disappeared, and only moments later, so did Vitani as she fell down from the White-Pass cliff, into the roaring stream below.


	4. You did what act one

**You did what – act one**

"You did what?"

Kovu smiled casually, or at least that was what he tried. Anyone who'd have been carefully watching, however, him could have told he was nervous. But Simba didn't watch him carefully; he didn't even bother to look in his general direction. He just kept staring north. Then, suddenly, he turned to Kovu, who further reinforced his smile. The aging but still very intimidating lion seemed to pierce Kovu with his bright eyes.

"Well, I have to say I didn't really expect that much initiative from you, but I like it nonetheless. It's about time we had some eyes at the border again, we've heard way too little for way too long about that area…"

"Indeed, I couldn't agree more. And Vitani was more than eager to do her duty for the pride," Kovu added, smiling still.

"Yes, I have to admit her services to the pride have been admirable, she fitted in better than I expected. And now she even scouts the border, on the lookout for our enemy… Quite frankly, I thought those scruffy mongrels had long since disappeared…"

"One can only hope," Kovu interrupted.

"… but we have to keep our vigilance, and I'm glad you did," Simba continued, "A king could not wish for a better son, and a pride could not ask for a better king."

By now, Kovu's jaws began to hurt from his deliberate smiling all the time; time for a serious remark so he could give his facial muscles some rest.

"Please, _father_, do not talk as if time had already caught up with us, the only king our pride needs, the only one it has, is you. I just do your bidding to the best of my abilities."

Simba stared at Kovu again, and for a moment, Kovu thought he had overdone it. Could the old lion see through his deceit?  
But Simba remained oblivious, and averted his gaze again, this time to Kiara, who was sitting nearby. He then addressed Kovu again.

"Well, anyhow, you did a good job: it is good to know your sister is scouting the border for any scavengers. If you keep up this good work of yours, I'll die a happy lion. But now, if you'll excuse me, I'm taking some time alone with my daughter: I'm still not used to the idea of having to miss her for weeks on end, not even after all those months."

Kovu nodded, and Simba strode towards Kiara, who, before she acknowledged her father, turned to Kovu and silently formed the word 'liar' with her mouth. Kovu grinned, winked and took off, out of hearing distance.  
When Enyi and her gang had given the rest of the pride their pathetic, highly unrealistic story about a leopard attacking their friend (thus causing her wounds), absolutely no-one had believed it, but only Kiara had been bold enough to confront Kovu with his shabby lie. As always, it didn't take long for her to squeeze the truth out of him, after which she had agreed to join the little 'conspiracy'. After all, since she had helped reunite the prides in a peacefull manner, Kiara was convinced a little bit of subtle diplomacy could about settle about anything. Unless her father joined in on the party that is, as diplomacy wasn't his strong point (though he had certainly been making progress); she couldn't really blame Kovu for wanting to keep Simba out of the whole hyena-agreement.

As he walked away from Simba and Kiara, Kovu spotted Enyi, who looked around suspiciously first, after which she addressed Kovu, her face locked in a seemingly everlasting expressionless stare.

"I'm glad you're a better liar than I am."

"Yeah, but you're still the best eavesdropper of 'em all. Private conversations are supposed to be private, if I'm not mistaken," Kovu grumbled.

"You're not mistaken, sir, but I was overly curious."

"Now that's something new, Enyi actually caring about something…"

Of course, Enyi didn't move a muscle or emitted a single sound that could indicate the slightest form of amusement.

"I just like to keep track of things. The game you're making me play here is not at all without risk, especially now that you've been lying to Simba square in the face."

"Talking about risk," Kovu sighed, "Vitani hasn't returned yet, has she?"

"No not yet. But it's only been a night, maybe she got delayed."

"Delayed how? The hyenas asking her out for lunch? Or brunch maybe?"

"Maybe she is lunch," Enyi suggested without the faintest sign of humorous intent.

"Not funny," Kovu frowned, fearing she was probably right.  
How long could it take to persuade the hyenas to agree on Kovu's very tempting proposal? The deal was pretty sweet on the hyenas: they got limited hunting rights to the parts of the Pridelands controlled by the Outlanders during the day; and Kovu didn't ask anything in return, except for them to stay clear of the Pridelands controlled by Pridelanders, and avoid contact with any lions at all times. In effect, Kovu just legalised what they had probably been doing for quite some time without any authorisation. As such, didn't even have to agree on the deal, Vitani only had to inform them they got the day-shift all to themselves, without lions coming over to confiscate their kills, and the hyenas would probably not even have to alter their routine. Only thing they had to do was steer clear of Pridelanders, which they undoubtedly already did.

"I didn't intend it to be funny," Enyi noted.

* * *

_Strange. Stranger than usual anyhow. I mean, it's not that unusual for something to wash up on the riverbank every now and then, but why oh why does it always have to happen at my drinking spot? Every time I need a drink some dead body turns up, two in this case. Yuk. Maybe I ought to migrate to a place without carcasses lying around everywhere; I just can't drink with that god-awful smell around. Not that these particular ones are that smelly, yet… Some scavengers better get rid of 'em soon or I'm outa here._

A small family of vultures slowly circled above their meal, not intent on munching in too fast for any meal could also be a trap. But there seemed to be nothing around but a bored cheetah, which yawningly looked at the vultures as they smoothly soared down, carefully manoeuvring their huge wings for a soft landing. Personally, the cheetah rather disliked vultures, and all other scavengers for that matter. Rough, nasty crowd. But he kept watching them nonetheless, knowing that seeing a lioness getting torn open by the birds would give him some satisfaction at least. If there had been hyenas as well to join in on the feast, however, the cheetah would've long since left: hyenas could, from time to time, act rather inappropriate, even when unprovoked. But now, it seemed as if the hyenas themselves were on the menu.  
The first vulture landed only inches away from his meal, and then carefully made his way onto the body. Before pinching away the hyena's eyes, the bird decided it'd be best if he double-checked whether his meal was really dead one last time, however, as those hyena's yaws could easily rip the huge bird in half. The vulture viciously pecked the hyena's side, but before it got the chance to tear off a piece of flesh, the animal below him had already emitted a loud whoop, jumping up below the vulture. The bird quickly flapped his wings and took flight, only missing the hyena's teeth by an inch. The vultures that had amassed around the bodies simultaneously flew up as well, rising up in a chaotic flapping of wings.

The cheetah, shocked at the sudden revival of the presumed corpse, decided he'd stay and watch the show anyhow, even though the vultures hadn't had a chance to dig in on the lion. But now the hyena could feast on the lioness, and that would mean the show would become a bite more crunchy: all the more reason to keep watching. The awoken seemed to need some time to get back to his senses, however, as he almost immediately collapsed after having jumped up. The cheetah continued observing him.  
After about one minute, the hyena got up again, though still a bit wobbly. As it looked around, seemingly confused, his eyes caught the sight of the cheetah, who tried keeping his cool as not to attract too much attention. But the hyena quickly lost interest in the bystander when he noticed the lion next to him. He then trotted towards her, falling down and getting up again halfway. For a moment he seemed to study the body in front of him, but then, in stead of the eating and bone-grinding the cheetah had expected, he just sat down next to her and laid down his head on her chest, after which he closed his eyes again as if he fell asleep.

_Strange morning indeed. Why doesn't that miserable hyena eat her? He certainly looks like he needs a decent meal. Or why doesn't he just walk away, or why doesn't he do anything, except for what he's doing now? Guess I missed something here… It's safe to presume they washed up together, so they probably fell into the water together as well, but that still doesn't explain what I'm seeing here, now does it? Relationships between the two of their kinds are usually a bit more chill. Strange, strange... I wonder…_

* * *

Pain. Darkness. Emptiness. No memories, no name, no hunger, no consciousness, only dark, empty pain. And a deep, everlasting silence. Or maybe not? For a moment it seemed like she could here a distant, muted whoop, nothing more than a vague sensation somewhere beyond the darkness. Then another sensation, but no sound this time… more like a faint touch. Then more pain again. As time passed by, time she could hardly come to grasp, her empty universe started filling up bit by bit. More sensations: a faint breeze, a touch of the warm morning sun, the soft caress of water. In time, even the darkness faded to make room for a succession of colours: first brown, then red, orange, yellow and finally a hellishly bright light. Her body came back again too, though only hair by hair and bone by bone it seemed. The pain remained however. Then suddenly, like thunder from a cloudless sky, it all came back: all memories, all recollections, all names, all faces, everything. Especially the chase and the ensuing fall. She tried to react to this sudden shock, but was unable to: although she had regained feeling in all of her body, her muscles didn't obey her yet. She noticed her mouth was open, not to mention dry, but she could hardly move her jaw. The best she could manage was lifting her eyelids. It took her an unusually long time to adjust her eyes to the light, but after a while, her vision was back again too. First thing she saw were two dark, fuzzy paws. She tried closing her mouth again, which was a success, but when she tried to utter a simple sentence, her abilities appeared confined to a silent groaning. That, however, sufficed to turn the two fuzzy paws into one fuzzy head.

* * *

After having taken a rest upon Vitani's chest, partly to check whether she was still alive and partially because he couldn't manage to stand upright for any longer, Vincent got up again, hindered by a nagging pain in his left-front paw. He seemed to have cut it open somewhere, and the cut was shallow enough not to be serious, but deep enough to be annoying. For a moment he considered his options: waiting, and waiting. Vitani was alive, but she still seemed to be incapacitated for a little while, so best he could do was wait: he wasn't going anywhere anyhow, not after what had happened earlier. Not on his own. For the time being he tried not to think about what had exactly happened on Priderock, but the obvious plot against him kept clouding his mind nonetheless. Who was in on it? Or who wasn't in on the plot? The only one he could trust was the one who had been targeted with him. The only one he could trust, for the time being was a lioness. Thinking about Vitani suddenly made Vincent realise she was producing some faint sounds. He bent over to have a look. Her eyes seemed to be open, though the sunlight seemed to hinder her.

"Hey Sunshine, you all right?

More groaning.

"Well, I guess that's something already. Yell when you're about ready to begin forming actual words."

Vincent walked around the lioness, sitting down against her back, resting his paws on her shoulder and his head on his paws.

"I do hope you don't mind."

"Jerk…" Vitani uttered slowly.

"Ah, you still remember me I see. Maybe it'd be best if I, while you are still unable to break my neck in a blind rage, stress the fact that I had nothing to do with whatever happened earlier."

"Yeah, I guessed as much…"

Vincent giggled, although he realised his present situation was far from desirable, let alone humorous.

"By the way, thanks for getting me out of the water earlier, I'm not a great swimmer," he added.

"My pleasure…" Vitani mumbled.

"Where are we anyway? I kinda lost track about when my head banged into a rock."

"Dunno, I just grabbed you and tried to get us ashore. But I'm pretty sure we're on the wrong side of the river... Exciting, no?"

"I've had my share of excitement for this year…" Vincent grumbled.

Vitani started laughing, as her pain started making way for relief.

"You wouldn't know how much I've missed this…" she suddenly smiled happily, after about a minute.

"Missed what?"

"This! Excitement, running for your life and talking it over while feeling absolutely mangled. Life! I've missed life!"

"Once you're born an outlander you'll die an outlander, I guess…" Vincent shrugged.

"You bet. This is your life too, isn't it? The hyenas', I mean. Don't you guys have to fight for it too? Really fight for a living, like we Outlanders had to do?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Hey, you'd be surprised how quickly you're tired of the easy life," Vitani yawned, still laying down.

"At least you've had both lifestyles, some of us can't afford to be so picky…" Vincent grumbled, meaner than he intended, and he quickly realised.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he appologised

"No, you're probably right anyway…"

For a moment, both animals just stared out in front of 'em, tired and confused, until Vincent took the trouble of really looking around for once. He quickly noticed they were stranded on a small depression between three steep hills and the river, flowing by slowly as it was now deep and broad, as opposed to the thin rock-ridden wild waters they had been flushed through after they had plunged into the river. As he gazed south, he found himself looking upwards to be able to see the whole of the white passes, whose cloud-covered flanks seemed only a few kilometres away. That could only mean they were indeed on the wrong side of the river where he had never been before.  
He suddenly noticed one of the hills surrounding them had some grass and trees on them, much more comfortable than the rock bed they were in now.

"Wouldn't you fancy lying down somewhere else? The sun is killing me, and having to sit on these nasty rocks ain't helping either," the hyena suggested.

"Sure… but first, I got to try getting up…" Vitani mumbled. With a tired groan, she got up, and both her and Vincent dragged themselves up the hill, to a spec of shade below a couple of low, thorny trees. Lying down again, they didn't notice the cheetah that had been discreetly following them. Vincent did see him, but didn't actually notice him as his thoughts were elsewhere: what had actually happened the previous evening?  
Kali had tried to ice him, that he already knew, and if she had been the only one in on it, her motives would have been crystal clear: avenging her mother by killing the descendants of her murderer, a plain old blood feud. But she had mentioned Seko. And Shenya. Were they in on it too? But why? Shenya had beaten him up pretty nasty, yeah. But that's what she does: she beats you up, then leaves you be, and if you're lucky she'll apologize for it later. But Shenya, his own sister for crying out loud, a murderer? And he could hardly believe Seko had the stomach (let alone the authority) to order a hit. But Kali mentioned them, and it was neither her style nor fitting of her intelligence to blame someone else for her finest hour. Plus, she had also mentioned 'Shenya would break her neck on a lion's paw' or something, what the hell did she mean by that? As he contemplated on that, it suddenly hit Vincent. He knew why Shenya would have wanted him dead, and why Vitani taking the blame would have been so important, and what Kali could have meant. No… she wouldn't… Would she? She couldn't possibly try to… Suddenly, Vincents thoughts were interrupted by Vitani.

"So… what do we do now?"

"Huh? Stay here and chill out a bit longer for all I care…"

"Yeah… but after that?"

"I'll try getting home, and you'll probably do the same."

"You're kidding me right?" Vitani frowned, "You're not seriously considering going back to the same guys that tried to kill ya?"

"What other options do you think I have? It's not like you're relatives would be any less murderous if they met me. And I don't fancy wandering around in the wilderness all by my self, so that only leaves a trip back to the clan."

"Probably… So here's where our roads part?"

As he could tell from the look on her face, she wasn't really looking forward to that, and neither was Vincent, for some reason he could quite point out.

"Well, not at once, I mean, we still need to find a crossing and stuff…" Vincent argued.

"Then one of us will be making a detour, if we use the same route across the river."

"I doubt it…"

"Why, you plan on moving?"

No, but Shenya might, and she'd be taking the whole clan with her, Vincent had come to realise. And he already guessed what their new home would be. Better not to tell Vitani, as not to make her panicky… or hostile.

"No, eh, nothing… I'll tell you on the way to the crossing, hyena stuff, long story. Boring too," Vincent lied. As Vitani was still feeling like shed been thrown of a cliff, which happened to be the case, she didn't notice Vincent was lying time around, "Besides, we ought to get moving, I don't think there's a lot to eat around here, and It'd really suck starving, or having to eat one another…"

"Yuk," Vitani growled with mild disgust.

The cheetah, which was still watching them, suddenly had a hard time suppressing a loud yawn, and Vincent spotted him again. He turned to Vitani.

"You noticed that guy? I think he's been watching us all morning already. Come on, get up, let's remind him who's boss 'round here…"

"Why not," Vitani yawned, "Nothing like ventilating some anger upon an unsuspecting bystander."

That was, of course, easier said than done, as Vincent still limped a bit, and Vitani's muscles still felt as supple as limestone. Vincent reached the cheetah first, but to his amazement, the skinny predator didn't flee in panic, which it ought to have been doing.

"Ain't it about time you buggered off, you're looking awfully tired."

No response. Vincent positioned himself right in front of the big cat, and then exhaled his intolerably foul breath into the cheetah's face, which turned his head in disgust.

"Having problems with my dental hygiene, are we?"

"Not at all," the cheetah noted stoical, "I just couldn't help notice your breath stinks of death even more than your fur does."

His brutality and lack of being intimidated started annoying Vincent. Vitani sat down next to him.

"If you like what his mouth smells like, you'll really love the interior of my stomach. And from what I'm guessing, someone's haggling for a one way trip," Vitani smiled, so polite it became vicious. By now, the cheetah already seemed a bit more reluctant to defy then he had been earlier, cowering back a little bit. But the way he spoke still tasted a bit offensive.

"Comrades, I'd be the last one to criticize a bit of diversity. We've all got to do with the genes our parents gave us, now don't we? Even when it comes to very pronounced personal odours,"

"Look here, comrade, how 'bout telling us why you've been spying on us the whole morning, and you might even live to see a next dawn," Vitani suggested, getting a bit annoyed at the cheetah's defiance. As one could come to expect, the cheetah seemed to be the longer the less at ease.

"Now now, let's try leaving threats behind us for the time being… I was just being a bit curious: it's not every day you see a hyena and a lion having a polite chat…"

Though the cheetah had a point, Vincent felt he was a bit too much of a know-it-all.

"Are you going to tell us, the uncontested rulers of the plains, what we can and can't do?" Vincent grumbled.

Vitani wanted to make a vicious addition to that, but suddenly realized they were making a mistake trying to chase the cheetah off. Thus, she tried to calm it down a little.

"Us having a chat only comes to show we're actually nice guys, now don't it, Vincent? You're from around here, cheetah?"

"Judging by the way he's talking to us I'd say he's way off…" Vincent mumbled, not aware Vitani was trying to pacify the conversation.

"Well, do you or don't you know the area?" Vitani asked again, ignoring Vincent, who suddenly realized where she was going at. He didn't like it, but lacked a decent alternative and felt a bit rushed, so decided to go with it.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm from around here. I'm a man of many places; I go where my paws take me. But I know my way 'round in these parts, if that's what you mean."

As she looked at him, Vitani could tell Vincent was still not fond of the idea, but as he didn't protest openly, she went ahead anyway, trying to enlist the cheetah.

"Look, it's just we're in a bit of a situation here… We washed up here by accident and we have to find a crossing. Problem is, we don't know our way around. So if you'd be nice enough to take us to a crossing…"

"And why would I do that, might I ask?"

"It'll benefit your life expectancy greatly," Vincent suggested, now smiling overly polite.

"So does running real fast. And I'm quite adept at that."

"Hey, I ain't stopping ya. Yet."

The cheetah grinned, and then nodded politely.

"Of course, leaving you two out here would be unfit to a gentleman. Plus, I'm always ready to help a fellow predator in need."

For a moment there, Vincent thought he noticed something strange in the cheetah's otherwise uncaring eyes, a sudden glimpse of cold and dark thoughts, immediately swept away by his ever present arrogance. Vincent hadn't liked the idea of him guiding them in the first place, and now found it even less appealing.

"I happen to know a crossing not too far from here. Only one problem though. It's on the other side of the passes."

"I do hope we can go round?" Vitani complained, as she couldn't begin to imagine what a hike over the White-Passes, a stretch of low mountains, could be like. But Vincent had realised they didn't have time for that. Not if he wanted to try and stop Shenya, which he still thought possible. The thought of what would happen if he wouldn't was enough to both make him forget about his initial distrust for the cheetah and his gut-feeling he had about crossing the passes.

"We ain't got time to go 'round. Can you get us over them passes?" Vincent quickly asked.

The cheetah smiled, for the first time that day, and before Vitani could ask why Vincent was in a hurry all of a sudden, the cheetah answered Vincent, his eyes again showing a faint touch of frost and gloom.

"Why yes, that was what I had in mind from the start… I'll take you both to the passes, and over them."


	5. You did what act two

**You did what – act two**

"You did what?"

"Hey, don't look at me. It's not like I pushed them off personally, you know; they were tumbling down before I knew it!" Kali reacted defensively.

"So they both just ran off the cliff?" Seko asked, still a bit confused.

"Well, not exactly… I mean, Vincent stopped just in time, but the lioness bumped into him. A long fall ensued."

"Hehe, guess she's the one who killed him after all," Seko giggled, "Talking about playing her part nicely. Saved you a lot of mess, and me a lot of lying… That reminds me: keep the story straight when Shenya gets here, got it? We might have done that which was necessary, that which was the one right thing to do, but if word gets out about what we did... lets just say it won't exactly make our day."

"Don't worry; my girls won't slip a word. And I'll keep to the explanation you gave me. Let's just hope it sticks."

Yeah, let's hope it does… Only thinking about what would happen if it didn't made Seko's stomach turn to stone. He wanted to tell her, he should tell her, he just had to tell her! After all, he had taken the bold move of eliminating Vincent only for her, for Shenya. From all his days spent with her, each one more brilliant than the one preceding it, he had learnt one thing: the clan belonged to her, her and only her. She had it all: charm, compassion, intelligence, charisma, determination… If anyone could ever lead the hyenas to greatness once more, it would have been Shenya... if not for her cold hearted, power hungry brother, who had been prepared to do almost anything to follow in his father's blood-soaked pawprints. But since Shenya just couldn't bring herself to stop loving her only brother, or see his through his manipulative schemes, Seko had had no other option than to bide his time and plot with Kali, until the opportunity presented itself. Seko had been reluctant to see his plan through to the end, though, as he knew how much it would hurt Shenya if he were to execute his plan. But after this day's events, Seko had realized he was out of options. So he did what he had to do, to save the clan, and to save his one true love who could now finally step out of her brother's shadow and arise to become the greatest matriarch as of yet.  
That said, he still had to break the news to her. He quickly silenced Kali as he saw Kim, the messenger, approaching.

Poor Kim, who had hoped to finally get a good nights rest after half a day of running everywhere and nowhere, hadn't really been to enthusiast when she had seen Seko and Kali rushing her way, and even less so as they ordered her to assemble Shenya and Shetani. Shenya, accompanied by Banzaï, hadn't strayed too far off, and in a stroke of fortune, it appeared Shetani had been around the capital den as well. For the better: otherwise Kim had had to search for her far north, where Shetani had been the Northlander's matriarch for a while, or down south, where she might have been spying on the lions again.

Shenya was the first one to appear on the rocky plaza, at the edge of the rocks and caves that compromised the den, where Seko and Kali had called the meeting, away from possible listeners. She looked a bit confused when she saw Seko and Kali. Meanwhile, both Banzaï and Shetani had approached as well. Kim halted at the edge of the plaza.

"Now can I like, get some sleep, please?" she complained, even before Shenya had had the chance to ask what was going on. Seko nodded, and Kim took off with a big yawn. Shenya addressed Seko.

"Seko? Kali? What's this about? I heard Banzaï saying something about a lioness and Vincent, but I didn't really get what they were on about. Where's Vincent anyway?"

"Lioness?" Shetani frowned, looking at Banzaï, who was still trying forming a coherent sentence when Seko interrupted him.

"I think it is best we talk this over from the start, seeing as how some of us are not exactlky up to speed, or so it appears… Kali, can you tell 'em what happened this afternoon?"

To make sure she gave them the 'official' version, Seko cast one last glare at Kali, and she nodded compliantly in return. She started telling them about the 'hunting incident' first, as Shetani hadn't been informed about that yet, followed by a detailed account of how they had encountered the lioness. She subsequently told of how the lioness had been pushing for a meeting with Vincent (who had agrreed to stage one), up until the point where Kali claimed that Vincent had, after being introduced to the lioness, 'inexplicably' asked Kali and her girls to get out of hearing distance. That last scentance was about the only weak point in Kali and Seko's whole make-believe story, and Shetani didn't fail to notice.

"He asked you to back away? That's dangerous, why would he do that?" she asked Kali suspiciously. Kali hesitated for one second, but was then saved by Banzaï who, without knowing it, filled the only gap in the conspirators' story. Nervously, he told them about the border-meeting with Vitani and her brothers, way back, and how he had gotten the impression Vincent had gotten along quite well with the lioness.

"He probably trusted her, and I can imagine that when she would have asked him for a bit of privacy, he'd have been trustingly enough to allow it…" Banzaï concluded.

"What? Is he out of his mind? Alone with a lioness, talking about taking a risk…" Shetani sighed. Meanwhile, Shenya hadn't said a word since Kali had started recounting that day's events. Then suddenly, with a slight hint of panic, Shenya addressed Kali.

"But if you are all here... where is Vincent then? Why isn't he…"

She looked Kali in the eyes, who almost immediately averted her head away from Shenya's grey, steel gaze. She then turned to Seko, moving towards him.

"Seko, where's Vincent? What…"

Seko forced himself to look his partner straight in the eyes, knowing that the only thing which would hurt her more than his lies was the truth. He even tried to put some sincerity in his voice.

"He must have known he was taking a risk when he was alone with the lioness, but still… I'm afraid he misjudged her... He's gone, Shenya."

Both Shetani and Banzaï growled in disbelief, then anger. Shenya, on the other hand, just remained motionless, paralysed it seemed. Shetani demanded an explanation from Kali.

"He's gone? What do you mean? How? What happened?"

Kali sighed, hoping she had remembered the 'official' account of what had happened.

"Well… as soon as we had left Vincent and the lioness, or maybe a minute later, I'm not really sure, we heard this terrifying roar. Of course, it didn't take long before we knew what was going on, so we rushed to Vincent's aid. But we couldn't intervene as he tried to run of towards the cliffs; the wrong way. Then, when he stopped only inches away from the edge of the cliff, the lioness caught up with him. But before we got a chance to help Vincent, his struggle with the lioness had already pushed them too far… before we knew it they plunged down into the river… We then immediately ran here to tell you what happened…"

As Kali finished her story, Seko suddenly realised something he hadn't noticed before, not even when Kali had told him what had really happened. A pretty essential detail.

"Wait, you didn't check if they were…"

"What's the use, nothing can survive a fall from there, not into that rock-ridden river…" Shetani interrupted. But Seko didn't listen: he panicked. Genuine panic.

"He's not dead!" he exclaimed.

"If he fell, he's dead Seko. I know it's hard to accept…" Shetani continued.

"He's really dead, isn't he?" Banzaï stuttered, alternating between anger and sadness while Shenya remained motionless and silent still.  
But Seko on the other hand was neither angry nor sad. He was frightened. Kali hadn't seen the bodies! She had explicitly told him she had rushed back to Seko immediatelyafter Vincent and the lioness had dissapeared. What if Vincent was still alive? Impossible… but it was a risk he couldn't afford. The only question was what he could do about it, and he had to figure out real quick. Working in overdrive, his brains quickly produced the second improvisatory scheme of the day, the first being the hastily organised (and possibly failed) assassination of Vincent. But to make that second idea work, he had to act swift, before the initial confusion and anger that had taken possession of the others had faded away.

"He's not dead! I won't believe it! Not when there is still any chance he's alive," Seko shouted out again, now back in control. But then, suddenly, Shenya erupted, her voice filled with anger and her eyes full of tears.

"He's dead! He's dead! Don't you see, he's gone, Seko! They killed him! Those rotten backstabbers murdered him! They butchered him in cold blood. He trusted them, he gave the lions his trust, and they slaughtered him in return. He's…"

Before she could end her sentence she burst out in tears. But Seko kept on playing his game.

"I tell you he's not dead! I won't have it! And I'll get him back, even if I have to swim down the White-Pass river myself," Seko uttered with the necessary pathos to fit the act. He then walked over to Shenya, and whispered in her ear while lovingly stroking her manes.

"He's alive, I know it! And I'll get him back, I promise."

But Shenya turned away, continuously mentioning whilst crying "No! He's gone, they murdered him…"

"Face it Seko, he's gone…" Shetaini tried to calm him. But Seko didn't calm down, as he had everyone right where he wanted them.

"He's alive and I'm going to try and find him, whether you like it or not. Kali, get your pack together, I'll need all the help I can get if I were to run into a lioness myself…"

"Stop it!" Shenya suddenly commanded. All of a sudden, she sounded calm and confident, although still a bit shaken, her eyes still gleaming with tears "Stop it! No-one is going anywhere. We'll need every hyena we can get…"

"Ma'am?" Shetani asked confused.

"We'll need everyone who still has the strength to grind a bone, if we ever want to make them bloodthirsty savages pay for what they did to us…" Shenya spoke determined. Seko on the other hand was on the verge of panic again, as his plan seemed to have been thwarted. But he had no choice to try and push it through either way.

"Shenya, I'm going through with this whether you like it or not. Vincent is alive, and I'm going to find him. If you want me to do that on my own, that's your choice."

"Ridiculous… Vincent is dead. You going out searching for him, alone or with a group, is just a waste of good yaws. And we'll be needing those if we're going to do what I think we're going to do: get back at those stinking lions on their own ground," Shetani frowned.

"I can't believe you're all just giving up on him!" Seko shouted out again, as he knew how important it would be for him to find Vincent, if he were still alive. After all, if Vincent would just show up again all of a sudden, Seko's days were numbered. So if there was even the slightest chance of Vincent still being alive, Seko had to find him:... and do something about that. Problem was he could use some extra jaws to take the load off of him, and securing those was only possible with Shenya's permission.

"Come on, Shenya, don't you at least hope he's okay?" Seko whispered in Shenya's ear.

"I do… but I know he's not… they killed him, and I'm going to make 'em pay. No false hope can get in the way of that," she whispered back, "But I can't let you go on your own either. I wouldn't want to lose you as well…  
Certainly not now, not now you're going to be a dad…"

Overflow. Too much information to cope with. Seko needed a couple of seconds to realize what Shenya had said: for one, she was allowing him to search for Vincent, and she was lending him some protection as well. That alone was enough to rejoice him. But that gratification was instantly shoved aside by a deeper, more intense and more sincere feeling of absolute joy. Finally she knew for sure! Finally he knew for sure! He absolutely forgot all about the incidents with Vincent, lost his calm and lost control, but still kept on whispering, probably to the annoyance of Shetani and Banzaï.

"A-are you sure? Are you really expecting?You-you're absolutely sure? It's finally happening? When?"

"Soon, not overnight, but soon."

By now, Banzaï was fed up enough about the whispering to declare his annoyance.

"Hey? How 'bout letting us in on the news too? Is he going to search for Vincent or isn't he?"

"Huh? Eh… yeah… yes… I'm… going any minute now… no time to waste," Seko grumbled as he fell back into reality, "And I'm taking some of Kali's packmate's with me…"

"I suggest we keep Kali here. We can use a set of yaws like hers…" Shetani suggested.

Kali, who had been feeling very uncomfortable throughout the entire meeting, felt relieved as she was offered both the chance to quit the meeting and not go along with Seko on his search (or rather hunt). Taking her vengeance she could handle, but the scheming to cover it up afterwards she wanted to get away from as soon as possible, not to mention the fact that Seko's swift and effective response to the possibility of Vincent being alive scared her. She got the feeling Seko was a bit too dangerous to hang around with.

"Well, that's for a fact. But no time to waste: Seko, I'll introduce you to your new companions, so you can begin searching for Vincent immediately. And I'll stick around while you're gone," Kali quickly replied.

Seko, still a bit confused, nodded and turned to Shenya.

"She's right, I gotta go, no time to waste… Just watch yourself, okay?  
I can't imagine going on without you, not now that you're gonna be a mom," Seko quietly told Shenya as he licked her muzzle. That was his manner of saying goodbye to his partner, who had just declared she was carrying their offspring. What joyous news, if it hadn't been for all the trouble Seko had just gotten himself involved in.

"Stay safe. And… and if you find him…"

Shenya hesitated.

"No, why bother… you won't find him, he's dead…" she uttered, and for a moment there, her sadness overcame her calm again. But while looking in Seko's large, yellowish-green eyes, she regained her confident tone again. She quietly whispered in his ear again.

"Don't turn this into a farewell, 'cause it isn't. I'll see you in three sunrises time – at Priderock… dad."

So she was actually going through with it. She was bent on taking the Priderock, and if they would ever meet again, it would be under its shadow. _If_. And even though she told him it wasn't a farewell, Seko couldn't help but lick her muzzle one last time, stare into her compassionate gray eyes one last time, and tell her something he actually really meant one last time.

"Love you," he quietly whispered, after which he and Kali took off without further ado. To Shenya it felt like a farewell after all, at least until she could convince herself they would indeed meet in three sunrise's time, at the Rock. She was sure of it; nothing would get in the way of their happiness now. But she was equally sure her brother was dead... and she would make his alleged murders pay for that, starting now, or at least when Seko would have ventured out of sight. Seko looked back however, and for a moment it seemed as if he wanted to turn around and head back to Shenya, but Kali, who accompanied him, applied some mild pressure, pushing him out in front of her.

"Watch yourself!" Shetani shouted as Seko took of.

"See ya…" Banzaï grumbled as well, even though he couldn't stand the sight of Seko. But Seko meant a lot to Shenya, and that's all that mattered to Banzaï. When both Seko and Kali had disappeared, Shetani addressed Shenya.

"Ma'am, maybe now is a good time to decide how to react to the lions' aggression."

"Not a whole lot to decide there I'd say…" Banzaï mumbled, "We make 'em bleed."

"Indeed. And it's happening in three sunrises time, when we take Priderock" Shenya replied, suddenly calm and confident again.

Shetani seemed a bit disturbed at the idea.

"Isn't that a bit… well, ambitious? In such a short time?"

"We've trained years and years for this, we can take 'em," Shenya noted, "And the sooner we do it the better: I'm confident that with their murder, they were hoping to disorganize and confuse our clan, so we wouldn't retaliate after what happened on the hunting trip. But we'll prove them wrong… dead wrong."

"But going after the Rock? It is too risky: the Outlanders' pride is in between us and Priderock; we ought to take them out first."

"No, that's what they'd expect us to do, if anything. And besides, they'd just pull back and amass at the Rock: the Outlanders' den isn't worth a rat's ass to them, they won't risk losing lives to defend it. But if we assault the Rock first, the residents there'll defend it to the end, they'll never give up their precious home. And then, in stead of facing one big pride, we can crush two small ones, one at a time."

"But we'll need the whole clan to pull that stunt… It'll be hard getting them to Priderock undetected, certainly if we set a timetable."

Shenya smiled.

"And that's where you come in, you and your gang."

"Yeah, that's the perfect job for you Graymanes," Banzaï grinned at Shetani.  
Shetani was the leader of the so called Graymanes, who were by the way named after her (or to be more precise after the abundance of gray hairs woven all through her otherwise dark manes). The 'Graymanes' compromised the best the clan had to offer: big, tough, well-trained, intelligent and loyal hyenas, not to mention that most of them, like Shetani, were Northlanders. Right after the clan's unification, Shenya's father had formed a small band of the best and brightest of the three former clans with the explicit task of reconnaissance and infiltration deep into the Pridelands. After a year of constant travel and sneaking, without one single detection by the lions, it's needless to say the Graymanes now knew the angle of every leaf on every bush by heart, and they had the stealth to put that knowledge to good use. Shetani, along with three companions, had even managed to sneak up to and study the Priderock (from a distance be it). Word had it they now knew their way around the Pridelands better than Simba himself (that, of course, would be giving them too much credit, but the assessment came pretty close nonetheless).

"You think you could handle that?"

"Probably," Shetani nodded, "But we'd have to take one big detour, and it'll be hard keeping more than eighty of us out of sight for the duration of a twenty-four hours march, not to mention we'll have to take a rest in enemy territory if we want everyone combat-ready."

"Right then. That settles it. Banzaï, you assemble the clan at the den, as quick as you can manage. Don't tell them why; leave that to me: I'll address the clan myself. Just get everyone at the main den. Go!" Shenya commanded. Banzaï, who had been sitting down for the better part of the meeting, got up compliantly and took of towards the main den. As he left, Shetani addressed Shenya again.

"I couldn't help but notice… you're handling Vincent's death pretty… well, calm. You feeling okay?"

"No, I'm not. I'm feeling like someone butchered my brother and spat in my face afterwards. And I didn't even get the chance to say I was sorry for the fight we had this afternoon…"

She suddenly started laughing, though she could have been crying as well. Shetani guessed it was a combination of both.

"And to think me and Vincent got into a fight because he wanted to let the lions go free after their previous butchering… The lions killed the one hyena who believed it didn't have to come to this… So no, I'm not feeling ok… But there's an entire clan out there depending on me, and I can't let them down. Not now. We'll have time to grieve once we're sitting atop Priderock."

* * *

"Hey…"

"Hey, Kim! But girl, you're looking awful… what happened?"

"Thanks… What happened? I'll tell you what happened: at sunset I had been up like, all night, so I wanted to get some sleep, but then all of sudden that arrogant Kali shows up and tells me I gotta go tell Vincent he has to come over, so I was all like 'go find him yourself, lazy tart', but then she tells me all this stuff about some lioness, so I'm all like 'yeah right and..."

Kim paused to yawn, then looked around. Judging by the enormous crowd, the whole clan must have already assembled. Kim had to shout to get over the noise all around her.

"But I'm tired of yelling this… bottom line is I had to run around all day and when I was finally able to get some sleep, one-eyed Banzaï shows up and makes me get the whole clan to come over here… and now everyone's here… and I still haven't got no sleep at all…"

"Poor thing… they probably didn't even tell you why they had you runnin' around all day, did they?"

"Like, what were you expecting? They never tell us anything, we just have to like, sit, roll over, play dead and then shut up…"

"Ah darling, don't let it get to ya. We can't all be matriarchs, and for the better: we'd just mess up if we were, we low-enders are not cut out for all them politics."

"I wonder… but you don't know either why like, everyone is here? Or why I had to go and get everyone?"

"Well... word has it there's gona be a big announcement. No-one knows what it'll be about though, and the big femmes ain't talking."

"It'd better be good or I'll like, pass out of fatigue. I'm so tired…"

"Seeing as they're making all this fuzz, it'll probably be something huge…"

Meanwhile, the noise around them continued to increase, and Kim's friend tried to peek over everyone else's heads, when the crowd in front of them suddenly split open, allowing Banzaï to get through.

"Right, here you are," he told Kim, who had just lain down, "Hey, great job at getting everyone here on such a short notice, Shenya's real pleased of you."

"You're welcome," she yawned back, "What's all this about, I've like, never seen everyone in one place before, ever…"

"Yeah… I'm guessing you've already guessed Shenya'll be giving a speech real soon… and she kinda asked me to come get you so you could come sit on the front row. That is, if you want to."

"Who, me? Well I... eh... o-okay…" Kim stuttered, seemingly confused.

"Well well, someone's climbing the social ladder today…" Kim's friend grinned not at all without envy.

"That'd be the day…" Kim commented cynically as she followed Banzaï through the crowd. Everyone had gathered in front of a mildly sloped, half-open cave which had a low boulder near the entrance, round which the clan had formed a semicircle. Kim quickly spotted Shetani and Shenya. When Shenya saw Kim, she blinked.

"There you are! Thanks again for getting everyone out here, you did a real good job at that," she smiled a bit nervously, "Now... whish me luck!"

"Huh?"

But in stead of replying, Shenya strode towards the flat boulder.

"Shhhsss…" Shetani hissed at Kim, who realised Shenya was goint to give that speech Banzaï had been talking 'bout. Shetani then signalled all the other Graymanes scattered throughout the crowd, who in turn urged everyone around them to keep quiet. Eventually, all background noise subsided and everyone's eyes turned towards Shenya, who was now sitting atop the boulder. As hyenas were gathered in front and beside her, it looked from a distance as if she was standing amidst the crowd, and judging by her ever increasing nervousness, Kim guessed Shenya felt like that too. An uncomfortable silence set in. Shenya, eyes filled with mild panic, stared at Banzaï first, then at Shetani, and then at Kim, who tried to smile back as a means of encouragement. Finally, she spoke up, hesitating, stuttering and not loud enough at first.

"Hi… I-eh, I appreciate you all being here… Sure are a lot of hyenas out here…"

She paused.

"You-eh… you're probably wondering why I wanted you all here tonight… It's been a while since we last gathered… I'll try cutting to the chase here, I've brought you all here 'cause I've got some bad news… Hell, no, not bad news… bad doesn't even begin to describe it… It's tragic, terrible even… Where do I begin...? I-I guess it all started yesterday evening... or no, it didn't start yesterday evening, it all started decades ago... but that'd be stating the obvious, I guess.  
I'd better start by telling you a story, a story 'bout three of our sisters 'n brothers. Their names were Nya, Keavy and Seko, but it could've been anyone of us.  
Yesterday, they had to go out hunting. Hunting out into the Pridelands, hunting in the lion's land. They didn't hunt on others' lands because they were decadent, lazy or thieves. They had to, because they were hungry. Hungry, as we all are ever since those lions, consumed by their burning and never ceasing greed, forced us to live our lives in exile, out in these barren Wastelands, of which they knew could not support us, thus forcing us to organize raids on their lands, simply to be able to continue existing. But are we to expect any compassion, understanding even?  
No, for us they have nothing in store but hate and blind, murderous rage. So we do the only thing we can do: we hide, we creep, stalk and hunt in the shadows. Alas, it appeared we could not hide forever, because yesterday, one of our hunting parties got caught: they ran into a bunch of lions. What happened then, you probably already figured out. The lions did not leave our sisters be, even though they didn't pose a threat to the lions. The lions did not warn them, nor did they chase them off. No, the lions attacked, not as to chase our sisters away, but for one purpose only: to kill them, relentlessly butcher them. Only one hyena escaped... Keavy and Nya however… They did not make it back."

The crowd became noisy again, as everyone was shocked at the news. Especially the closer relatives of both deceased became quite emotional. Not that hard to understand really, as their deaths hadn't been mentioned before, even Kim had been left in the dark, and as she herself had known Nya personally, she to was quite upset. And to think only one week earlier she had been babysitting Nya's daughter… thank heavens she was already old enough for the communal den. The noise ensued, and some began to openly question why they'd been left in the dark for almost two nights. But Shenya spoke up again, now loud and confident as she had finally found the right tone.

"I know we should have brought you this awful news sooner, and I wish apologize personally, especially to the relatives, Nya's daughter in particular. But we had to wait until everyone was gathered here, for an even worse tragedy has unfolded since the brutal murder of our dear sisters Keavy and Nya…  
You see, immediately after the butchering, the lions sent an agent or an 'emissary' as she called herself. Indeed, they sent someone who pretended she wanted to 'discus' the tragedy they had caused… You now probably ask yourself who might, seeing as how previous experiences have made it painfully clear no lion is to be trusted, even bother to acknowledge the emissary's plea in stead of just making her pay for what her pride did to our sisters, not to mention the years of misery they condemned us to?  
But there was one hyena, one who still had faith that somewhere in their black and tiny hearts the lions would still have one speck of decency left. One who believed in a future where we might one day coexist… a future where there is place for both lion and hyena, a future we could only reach if we ended the bloodshed here and now. One who was compassionate enough to even be willing to forgive our worst enemies, and for the better of both our species was willing to reach out. You all know of whom I speak. The only son of my mother, Great-Matriarch Shenzi. The one I speak of is my brother Vincent… Some of you might be surprised to hear me praise my brother so, it is common knowledge we didn't always get along…"

_Why all those past tenses? Where is Vincent anyways? A worse tragedy… she couldn't possibly mean…_

"But even though we had our differences, I do know one thing about my brother: he was good at hearth, in ways a better hyena than I am. But… in all his kindness and understanding, Vincent made one mistake: he reached out to the lions. He reached out to the emissary, even trusted her enough to lose his guard… and facing that much trust and compliance, the lioness they had sent did what lions do best. She attacked. She murdered Vincent."

Silence. The entire clan descended into a collective muteness. Maybe it was because Vincent had few relatives – only Shenya remained. Or maybe it was the fact the clan had to cope with three grave losses in succession. But the real reason they all kept silent was because they had lost their actual leader. Sure, he had never been proclaimed matriarch (or patriarch), his sister wore the title. But even though he never got to eat first, Vincent had always held the power: he had been the one to, as his father had done before him, keep in touch with all the leading families, befriend anyone regardless of their social stature, clear out all arguments that arose between clanmembers, organize hunting trips, welcome or decline any newcomers and most importantly, keep the clan in fighting shape and train them to defend themselves against the lions. And now gone? Dead overnight without warning? Shenya continued, although now that she had mentioned her brother, she sounded a bit more emotional.

"I-I can hardly believe it myself really… Vincent gone… I have to admit, it's hard to bear… But as heartless as it may sound now, after the loss of so many lives, we cannot afford to grieve now. We cannot afford to stop and mourn about the losses we suffered, for now we have to act. Because let us not forget what has happened: Vincent offered the lions a paw, but they shamelessly gnawed it off. Vincent died believing there was still something good in lions, that we might one day live without having to fear them. But in their vicious, murderous blood-lust, they have once again proven him wrong. There is nothing good in lions, there is nothing reasonable in them, save their cunning. We'll never live peacefully side by side. Not now, not now that they've once again showing their ugly, disgusting nature. No sisters, it pains me to say it, but my brother was wrong: we can never live in peace with the lions. We will never live in peace with the lions, we will never coexist, I even fear that the lions' mere existence is an ever ongoing threat to ours. We can no-longer tolerate their presence. As long as the lions keep these lands in their choke-hold, we shall never live at ease. Twisted and perverted in nature these lions are, and as such we can not and will not surrender our future generations over to their mercy, to live at their whims. No, the time has come, sisters, now that the lions' behaviour has reached a new low, to finally, after all these years of living in fear and oppression, to take matters in our own paws. Now is the time, after yet another provocation, to finally claim our rightful place, by force. Now is the time for vengeance!"

Silence.

"Vengeance!" she shouted out again.

"Vengeance!" a part of the clan angrily replied. They shouted that single word gain, and again and again... some even raised their paws, clenched in a fist, along with the almost rhythmic shouting until finally everyone shouted out as one, their voices full of anger and bitter hate, their eyes filled with a dark fury.


	6. The circle of rotten fruit

**The circle of rotten fruit**

"Come on, it'd be hilarious..."

"No, it'd be a waste of time."

"Imagine the look on his face…"

"… when he dumps us halfway the passes for screwing up his hunt? Yeah, that'd be real _killer_."

"Jeez, you're boring, you knew that? I thought hyenas did nothing but laugh all day long…" Vitani sighed.

"Just because our rallying-cries sound a bit… peculiar doesn't make us comedians, you know," Vincent yawned, "I mean, you guys always roaring all the time doesn't have to mean you're all crazed out brutes, right? Our famed laughter is just another way of conveying messages, much like your roaring…"

"Apparently… Ow, I think I might have overdone it on that gazelle… Damn, my stomach…"

"Hey, don't look at me, I told you it'd be better to save some for later," Vincent commented whilst patting on the remains of a gazelle carcass next to him. Vitani had clearly munched up way too much of that carcass in to little time.

"Apparently… Urp!" Vitani burped out in a surprising loud volume. The impala Vincent and Vitani had been looking at from their resting place startled at the sound of Vitani's burping and tried to make a run for it.

"Oops!" Vitani gasped

Immediately after the impala began sprinting away, Kiruhu leapt up out of the bushes he'd been using for cover and began his high speed chase. Normally, he'd have no trouble outrunning the prey, but this time he had his cover pre-emptively blown by Vitani, so he was in for a long chase. He absolutely blew at long chases. But this time, with a bit of luck, he might just make it. Meanwhile, Vitani and Vincent, still plucking their dinner out from between their teeth, had deemed it necessary to start shouting a bit to encourage Kiruhu from where they were sitting. To encourage or to annoying him, the cheetah wasn't sure, nor did he care. He was entirely focussing on the prey running out in front off him, trying to avoid anything that might make it trip. Suddenly, just before running in what appeared to be a thorn bush, the impala made a sharp turn, forcing Kiruhu to do the same. As his felt his paws sliding over the dry savannah floor, he just barely managed to avoid a fall, but he was unable to avoid the thorn bush. The cheetah felt the sharp thorns tear his skin as he ran by. But he was still gaining on his prey, that's what mattered, not some puny scratch. As he got closer still, the prey became desperate and tried to make another turn, but this time, it made a slight miscalculation and lost its balance. For a split second, the impala slowed down to try and regain its balance, and that's when Kiruhu jumped in. While still running at high speed, he knocked the prey's back with his paws. This of course caused the prey to fall down. A short struggle ensued, in which the impala desperately tried to get up, while the cheetah tried equally hard at gnawing his prey's throat.

"Come on, gut him!" Vincent shouted.

"No, break him!" Vitani cheered.

Kiruhu just did what he always did, being none of the above: biting the prey's windpipe shut until it choked, which took a comparatively long time.

"Now that's entertainment," Vitani grinned, looking down on Kiruhu and his meal from the hill on which she and Vincent sat, "And if I hadn't disturbed him, he'd have caught his prey in half that time, and that'd been only half as fun for us to watch. Told you it'd be fun to startle them…"

"Yeah, hilarious… I just hope he doesn't get pissed at us for almost messing up his hunt…"

"Hey, that's what he gets for being so smug. Stupid cheetah… 'Thank you but no, I prefer warm flesh… blah blah blah'. Talking 'bout arrogant!" Vitani noted a bit scornful, commenting on how Kiruhu had declined the offer to join Vincent and Vitani whilst they fed on some relatively fresh carrion.

"I guess some cats just don't appreciate the convenience of just having to pick up your food from the ground… not even when it hasn't even been touched yet. Not that I wouldn't prefer a fresh 'n bloody kill of course," Vincent mumbled as he started crunching down a few ribs of the carcass that still lay next to him, "Bah, I've had enough…"

"I bet he just doesn't want to eat with us around… Phew, I'm busted. Eating's hard work," Vitani yawned.

"Don't worry, we've walked far enough today, it's about time we had some rest. Tomorrow, we'll be crossing the White-Passes, or at least that's what the cheetah said. Fact is, we're already at the base of the White Passes, if we save some energy now, we'll be able to cross those Passes in under a day," Vincent calculated.

"Why the hurry?"

"Why not hurry?" Vincent replied quickly, as he wouldn't want to upset Vitani: if Vincent told her of the reasons his sister Shenya might have had for wanting him dead, chances were Vitani would become upset. It would only slow them down if Vitani panicked (or got angry for that matter), so it was best Vincent avoided that.

"Why not hurry? Well, because we'll be going our separate ways once we get back. Or are you that much in a hurry to get rid of me?" Vitani frowned.

"No, no, not at all… No, I like being around you… It's just I don't like to leave the clan all by itself, 's all."

"You really like me?" Vitani wondered, mysteriously looking at Vincent.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you saved my life twice by now, and you've been as nice as any lion could be. Not to mention you're fun to hang out with. Quite frankly, I though you were the one getting sick of me…"

"If I were sick of you, I wouldn't have saved your life twice by now, wouldn't I?" Vitani grinned.

"You're right; sorry, stupid remark from my part."

"Stupidity forgiven, you're a man after all," Vitani smiled, when she suddenly paused to lift her head up, sniffing around, "Hey, you smell that?"

Vincent snuffed around a bit, then discreetly snuffed his own fur.

"Smell what? Whatever it was, it wasn't me… I think."

"No, silly! Rotting fruit! Can't you smell it? Mhhm, it's just right… and it can't be far! I'm amazed the grazers didn't eat it already."

"What for? It's just stupid fruit… I doubt it being overdue makes it any less yuk." Vincent grumbled. Vitani looked at Vincent with amazement.

"You're not telling me you've never had any rotten fruit?"

"Why in the Spirits' name would I ever have wanted to have eaten rotten fruit?"

"Come on, you're kidding me, right? The big 'n bad hyena hasn't ever eaten some rotten fruit? Fool the other one!"

"I'm telling you I haven't…" Vincent replied, starting to get a bit annoyed, "Why, what's the big deal?"

"You'll find out soon enough!" Vitani grinned as she got up, "Come on; help me find out where this delicacy is. You'll be thanking me for it later!"

With a fair amount of scepticism, Vincent reluctantly got up. Though he trusted it wouldn't be anything harmful, Vincent was quite sure yet whether Vitani wouldn't be trying some prank on him. 'Bah, if she does: for the better,' he thought, 'I can use some good laughs…'   
After a couple of minutes spent looking around, they found the fruit lying at the base of a couple of trees. It appeared a fair amount, although a lone antelope was munching up some of it. Wanting the fruit for herself, Vitani shooed the herbivore. To Vincent's surprise, however, the antelope did not speed away in terror, but instead clumsily tottered off, losing its balance a couple of times.

"What's up with him?" Vincent wondered.

"Hehe, that'd have made a much easier prey for Kiruhu. Too bad he neglected the magic of the fruit…" Vitani giggled, "Come on, dig in!"

"What?" Vincent frowned, looking at the fly-covered fruit in disgust, "Like hell am I eating this! You go first!"

"Your loss," Vitani mumbled, having already worked down a mouthful of the now gooey fruit. Seeing as the fruit didn't seem to be immediately affecting Vitani, Vincent argued it seemed ok and ate some of it. At first, he didn't taste anything, until after a while he noticed a bitter aftertaste.

"Yuk! It don't taste good at all…"

"You don't eat it 'cause it tastes good, silly! Come on, keep at it," Vitani encouraged him with her mouth full. Reluctantly, Vincent continued eating. After a minute or so, Vitani halted him.

"Ok, that ought to do it. Come on; let's find some place to lie down."

'What, this is it?' Vincent thought a bit disappointed as they sat down on a soft patch of grass on the hill. The spot they picked to sit down gave them a great view of the amazing sunset at the other side of the river, beyond the steep cliffs.

_Huh? Am I already sitting down? Man, this is some soft grass… _

"Now what?" Vincent mumbled. He sounded a bit tired, definitely more tired than before.

"Oh, if you haven't ever had rotten fruit, you'll begin feeling it real soon…" Vitani smiled with a contented expression on her face.

"Nothing yet…"

Vincent turned his head towards the sunset.

_Is it me or can't I turn my head any faster than this? Hmm, Nice sunset…_

"Beautiful sunset…" Vincent suddenly mumbled.

_It don't usually say that…_

"Magnificent," Vitani grumbled with satisfaction, "Ever noticed how it's always there, it's always pretty and we just never notice it?"

"Yeah…"

Vincent turned his head again, this time towards Vitani.

_She's looking different… Ever noticed how she's always there, she's always cute and I just never notice it… Huh? I hope I didn't say that one out loud… Oops, I'm staring at her… Is she staring at me? _

They were indeed staring at one another, Vincent seemingly mesmerized by Vitani's magnificent blue eyes.

"Sorry, I'm staring… you've got special eyes…" Vincent mumbled.

_And I definitely usually never say that!_

"Stare to your hearts content, silly" Vitani grumbled, "You're 'the boss', I can't stop the boss from staring…"

"I'm no boss. Oh wait… Well, not now… maybe sometimes…"

"What's up with that anyways? Last time I asked about that, you got all angry at me…" Vitani sobbed.

"Hey, I wasn't angry at you."

"Yes you were, you were angry and mean…"

"Hey," Vincent whispered as he got closer to Vitani. She looked a bit sad. Was she playing it? "I didn't mean that… It's just… It's my dad… he always insisted they call him 'the boss', so now that he's gone everyone calls me the boss…"

"Aren't the women usually 'boss' with hyenas?"

"That's a long story… a long hyena story, you'd get bored…"

"No, I won't, I like your stories… I like you and your stories," Vitani smiled. She suddenly noticed Vincent was looking rather sad, genuinely sad as opposed to Vitani's pose earlier on.

"What's the matter?" Vitani asked concerned whilst putting her paw on Vincent's shoulder. Contrary to his nature, he didn't startle when he felt the lion's paw touching him.

"I don't like to think about dad… he died only a couple of months ago… Now, I've got no parents left at all…"

"Join the club…" Vitani added with a sad smile, "Come on, you can tell me about him; I've had my share of awkward dad's. It'll make you feel better, I'm sure."

"No it won't…"

"Why not?"

"Because he wasn't a nice hyena… He was bad, scary…"

"He wasn't a good father?"

"He was the best father you could ever dream of," Vincent replied with sudden vigour, "But he was a scary hyena… he was different, not like hyenas… and he changed us, he made us different as well, more like him. You know how you said hyenas are supposed to laugh all the time? Well, I remember we did, once. But dad never did. He smiled, yeah, he smiled with that menacing grin of his. But never laughed.   
And when he came to power we all started becoming more like him and less like the hyenas we used to be…"

Vitani figured she hadn't been the only one with rather unconventional parents…

"What, he made you all stop laughing?" Vitani asked.

"Yes… No… he didn't force us to be like him… but he always led by example, so we became more and more like him. We're not the clan we were all those years ago, when your kin beat us at Priderock.  
Not just the laughing changed, other stuff too, like leadership: it used to be the women who had the say about everything, but once dad got the power, men were suddenly eligible as well. Me being the proof of that…"

"But if he was such a scary guy, not to mention a man, how did he get to power in the first place?" Vitani wondered. 'Why do the scary ones always take over?' she had asked it herself countless times.

Vincent smiled.

"The way scary guys always get power: we hand it to them. You probably don't know, but my dad was a hero! Yeah, a real hero, or at least that's what everyone said. He supposedly stopped the lions that tried to fight our clan all the way to extinction after the Battle of Priderock. But we got them lions, thanks to dad. Why? Because he changed us, he made us fight differently. He always said it was our own fault we countless fights against the lions, and he was kinda right. So when everyone saw what miracles a bit of change brought on, they thought 'Why not? Why no man in stead of a woman to lead now, maybe that's a useful change as well…' Of course, not everyone agreed on that… No, not at all, the clan split: tradition vs. change… and tradition made itself an entirely new clan, the Westclan. You remember that nasty hyena who chased us into the river yesterday? Her mother was the Westclan matriarch…"

Vitani yawned.

"But I'd better cut the storytelling; I bet you're getting tired of me ranting…"

"No, no, keep up your storytelling! I'm not tired enough to sleep yet," Vitani purred, and suddenly, on an act of impulse, she put her paw around Vincent and dragged him closer to her, until she could touch his manes with her nose. The hyena felt the lioness' warm breath caressing the skin below his fur. Vincent didn't mind one bit: as a matter of fact, he probably hardly noticed, and if he did, he probably liked it, as the sun had already set and it was getting a bit chill.

"Mhhm, nice 'n warm…" Vincent mumbled with heavy tongue, becoming more and more affected by the fruit's magic, "Where was I…"

"The nasty hyena that had chased us in the water…"

"Oh yeah… that was Kali, she doesn't like me," Vincent giggled, "But you probably figured that one out for yourself by now… No, she definitely hates me. And I haven't done her any harm, ever! Just because my dad had her mom murdered, jeez… Like I had anything to do with that, but no, she just goin' 'round blaming it on me…"

"I know the feeling… Wait, what did you say? Your dad had her mom murdered? What for?"

"Because of you, duh! You lions gave us quite a scare with that reunion of yours: suddenly, us divided hyenas had to face one huge pride again. If they ever wanted to tie up loose ends…"

"So you did some reuniting of your own?" Vitani guessed.

"Yep," Vincent replied amused, "We, the 'Shenzi-clan', had wanted to do that for quite some time, bringing them separatists into the fold again. But we lacked the spirit. But then, when you guys came together again, we got something way better than spirit: fear. Yeah, it all became clear: united we'd stand against a lion attack, divided we'd fall. 'Strength through unity,' was one of those catchphrases my dad used to use… it became very 'on the spot' all of a sudden… Where was I… Oh yeah, first thing we did was talk to the Northlanders. They weren't part of the clan, never had been, but they had once allied themselves with us: when we were on the Pridelands with your old man… But those Northlanders had withdrawn from the Pridelands again just before Simba showed up: all gain, no pain. But their leader's a good gal. Honourable 'n stuff, the good kind off an old fashioned leader: wanted to make up for the pain we had endured for their gain, at the Battle of Priderock. The Northlanders thus joined without any fuss, bent on making up for their previous cowardice… or luck…"

"But the Westclanners weren't too intent on doing so?"

"Stubborn, too stubborn… bad kind of old fashioned. So dad did what he does best: plotting. Genius plot. I can't remember any of it right now, but I'm sure it was genius… drove the Westclan right into his paws – and it meant the end for Kali's mom… genius plot…"

Vitani started giggling all of a sudden.

"Guess he changed the hyenas into plotters as well, judging by what happened to us yesterday…"

Vincent joined in on the giggling, although he was naturally more skilled at it. After some time, both calmed down, and for a moment they just lay there, cuddled against each other. Vitani's warm, soft fur started making Vincent sleepy. Suddenly, Vitani talked again.

"Vincent?"

"Hhm?"

"The stuff you said about my dad… Taka. Did you really mean that?"

Vincent groaned profoundly. She was going to hear him out about that too? Maybe that was what the rotten fruit was for, making others talk? No… they didn't eat it for an interrogation… Maybe for the cuddling then? It sure seemed to make Vitani cuddlier.

"You do remember anything I say, don't ya… Gosh, Taka… Taka… What of him, sunshine?"

Vitani didn't respond at first. Vincent tried turning around to face her, but her paw was weighing down heavily on his waist, which hampered Vincent's movement. After some twisting and turning, he was eventually able to face Vitani.  
She was crying, silently: Vincent could see tears gently sweeping down from her eyes.

"Sunshine, you're all right?"

In stead of verbally replying, she slid her free paw under the hyena's neck and firmly pressed the now slightly unnerved Vincent to her body, tucking her nose in the thick manes on his neck, allowing him to feel the sensation of her breath every time she exhaled again. Normally, the thought of being hugged by a lion would petrify him, but for this one time he made an exception and actually liked it.

"It's not fair…" Vitani wept.

"What is?"

"It's not fair, why does everybody hate my parents? Why do you all hate me for them? What did I do? What did they do?"

_Life's not fair, is it?_

Vincent gently pushed Vitani's head from his neck, allowing him to look her directly in the face. On impulse, he licked away the tears on the right side of her face, then those on the left side.

"I don't hate you, got that?"

"You do… you hate me for what I am, I'm just _his_ daughter to you…"

"Don't talk such rot," Vincent tried soothing vitani, "So you are his daughter… so what? I didn't know him; I know you, and you're not him."

"But you do hate dad… Taka…"

Vincent sighed. She was genuinely upset… and who wouldn't be: she had been born daughter to the most despised lion of an entire generation, been forced to betray her lineage and even her own parents.

"I'm gonna say something I might regret saying afterwards… I don't genuinely hate you father, Vitani... After my dad passed away, and after I found out who you really were, I did some thinking… And now I'm pretty sure of it: Taka couldn't possibly be the monster everybody makes of him."

"Liar…" Vitani sobbed.

"No, it's true. Think about it: I happen to know for a fact hyenas just hate him because we needed a scapegoat. Whatever happened was never our fault, but always Taka's. I mean, he shared the Pridelands with us, but Spirits know he didn't have to. After Musafa had died and Simba had disappeared, Taka became the legal king. He didn't need us hyenas to support his rule, he had the law on his side (as the lionesses were unaware of what Taka had done). But he still gave us access to the Pridelands… just like that. Doesn't sound like the kinda thing a monster would do, does it? And besides, I'm sure all you Outlanders wouldn't just follow a monsters legacy all the way into exile…"

"…but no-one dares to admit that; they all feel more comfortable with the easy truth, a winner's truth," Vitani sobbed cynically. Then she suddenly licked Vincent's nozzle, after which she one again lost herself in his fuzzy manes on the back and sides of his neck. Listening to each others regular breathing, they finally both dosed off, not noticing Kiruhu, who had been discretely observing them for a distance. The cheetah's silhouette contrasted faintly against the enormous, ghastly White Passes that rose up behind him, the same Passes the party would be crossing tomorrow. After having looked at the sleeping Vitani and Vincent for a while, Kiruhu looked up at the moon.

"Full moon… figures…"

* * *

"What do you think he's staring at all the time?"

Kiara smiled briefly.

"They are the Kings of the Past. They watch over him, and he looks up to them…"

"Dead kings huh? Sounds creepy…" Kovu replied a bit absent, whilst staring at Simba, who was in turn staring at the star-spangled night sky.

"You don't ever listen when Rafiki tries to explain the ways of the world to you, do you?" she replied with faked indignation. Kovu sighed, apparently not noticing Kiara was only pulling his leg.

"I wonder how anyone could. Fruit-sipping fruitcake… Can't ever bother to just say whatever it is he wants to say. Where is that stupid ape anyways? He hasn't bothered me for quite some time now..."

"He probably already gave up on you…" Kiara grinned.

"His loss, I suppose…" Kovu mumbled. Suddenly, he tried to grab Kiara, but she anticipated his move, tripping Kovu on the ground. He looked a bit pathetic as he lay on his back with Kiara standing over him.

"And what was that all about?"

"Moonlight makes you look too cute for me to just leave you be…" Kovu smiled, "By the way, how's my heir coming along? Or maybe it'll take some more…"

Kovu tried kissing Kiara, but she gently pushed him back onto the ground.

"Easy there Romeo," She whispered as she bowed down and kissed him in stead, "I'm still the princess 'round here. But don't you worry; it's going to happen soon, your heir is on his way…"

" 't Was about bloody time…" Kovu yawned.

Kiara sat down next to her partner, then turned her head towards Simba again. Sitting there, lonely gazing at the stars… it was in ways a sad image, perfectly illustrating how lonely it could get at the top, especially as one becomes older.

"Dad's been anxious for our heir to be born too…" she noted, "He can't wait to get to see his first grandchildren."

"I know, he's been mentioning it to me too… noticed how he's been kind of 'off' lately?"

"Yea. Thanks for handling him so well, Kovu. He's been going through a tough time lately ever since Zazu died… then grandma… he must be feeling pretty lonely, all he's got now is mom…"

"Alas, so are the ways of the Circle of Life," Kovu grumbled ironically. Kiara seemed a bit shocked at his cold remark.

"Kovu! That's not funny!"

"I don't hear no-one laughing…" he grumbled still a bit frosty. Kiara angrily got up.

"What's the matter with you? This has been going on for weeks now! Each time we talk, a remark like that slips through; what's up with all that cynicism all of a sudden?"

"Just my bad genes kicking in dear…" Kovu grinned darkly, "Not funny? I'll tell you what's not funny either: last month, when Sarabi died, the whole damn Pridelands went through three days of collective depression. When on the other hand the first anniversary of the Reunion came up, a couple of months ago, Simba threw a bloody party! In the name of the Kings of Old, he 'mourned' the passing of my mom with a damn banquet! That's what's the matter…"

Kiara gasped. He was right. Simba had provided a huge meat pile at Priderock to celebrate the Reunion – the Reunion that had meant Zira's death. And celebrated they had…

"Now ain't that a joke? My offspring, conceived exactly one year after my mom passed away… right after Simba's party. How naughty of us indeed," Kovu sneered.

"Kovu… I… I'd forgotten… Sorry, I didn't…"

"I bet you did. But hey, the past is all behind us, right? No need to remember lions, no need to remember parents, no need to remember names…" Kovu sighed bitter.

"Kovu, please… Stop this, stop talking like this…" Kiara urged with a slight hint of panic.

"No, the faster we forget about Taka and Zira, the better, those are just evil memories, now aren't they?"

"Kovu, stop this!"

"What? Their names hurt your ears? Zira and Taka, that's them! Taka… or maybe it'd be better I called him Scar… Two deviants from the almighty Circle of Life, a deviance only fitting the capital punishment…" Kovu laughed ghastly. When he mentioned the 'Circle of Life', he spat out the words in the same way others would spit out 'Taka'.

"Kovu!" Kiara cried out loud. Simba suddenly tuned his head towards his daughter, interrupting his monologue with the stars. He looked a bit disturbed; apparently he expected some kind of explanation. Kovu, however, got up without further ado and took of in exactly the opposite direction, leaving behind a shocked Kiara and a confused Simba.

_To hell with their Circle of Life, to hell with all this! Simba's feeling lonely? At least he's entitled to his memories still._

Contemplating as he walked away from Kiara, Kovu realized he had gravely overdone it this time. He had had sporadic outburst of cynicism and anger, sure, but never to this extent, and never so specifically aimed at Kiara… not to mention he had specifically mentioned Zira and Taka.   
But it was all getting too much, now wasn't it? Kovu's first kid, to be expected somewhere in the near future; Simba staying over again; his family history… But worst of all his worries: Vitani still hadn't come back from her assignment. It couldn't possibly have taken that long tp convey a simple message… But with his father-in-law around, Kovu couldn't afford to panic, let alone send out a search party for Vitani. But he still had to do something for his sister.

_Where the hell is Enyi? Oh yeah, out hunting…_

Kovu decided to stop looking for Enyi. No use in panicking, not while Simba was around. He'd give it another day or so, but if Vitani hadn't returned the next sunset, he'd send Enyi looking for her. Simba or no Simba.

Kovu had never really gotten what the Circle of Life was all about; to him it was just another sorry excuse for death parents made up to comfort their cubs at the passing of a loved one. And as such, he'd always felt a strong resentment against the circle of Life. Now Kovu just hoped the Circle hadn't consumed his sister as well.


	7. Above all else

**Above all else**

"Almost there now… just a tiny bit more…"

_Not._

Kiruhu had been repeating himself for hours on end now it seemed, but the more he tried to talk courage into her, the longer it began to take Vitani to advance yet another step towards the shrouded peaks emerging in front of her. And the surroundings didn't really help to improve her mood a lot either: gray rocks, gray clouds, gray shadows… even the already scare vegetation seemed to be turning gray as well.  
Reminded her a bit of the Wastelands where she had first encountered Vincent, save for the steep slope she was now walking, which made each lifting of the paw an endeavor on its own. Not to mention the cold winds which seemed to be slicing through her like burning claws, nor the ever blackening clouds in front of her which enshrouded the White-Pass peaks. She didn't like the regular clouds to start with, but the thought of having to pass under those near-black abominations was almost unbearable. But strangely enough, Vitani seemed to be the only one to appreciate the grimness all around them, as both Kiruhu and Vincent were only focused on racing to the actual White Pass, much to Vitani's annoyance.

"Y… You guys… I-I can't keep this up, slow down, will ya…"

Vincent halted almost immediately upon hearing Vitani's voice, as her talking finally ended an awkward silence which had lasted for hours it seemed (though it was actually more a matter of minutes). He immediately, but carefully as not to slip on the steep surface, retraced his steps towards Vitani, who was sitting down by now.

"Hey, are you okay?" he considerately asked.

"What do you think? I'm exhausted and I'm freezing… And I'm pretty sure you are too."

"Who wouldn't be… but the sooner we get to the pass, the sooner we're rid of all this."

"I don't know… I'm getting the feeling that crossing this damn pass ain't working, coming here might have been a mistake… Can't we just turn back?" Vitani complained.

"No!" both Vincent and Kiruhu suddenly shouted, be it for different reasons.  
Vincent still hoped crossing the passes would give him enough time to confront his sister before she went and did whatever it was she planned on doing when she had started plotting against him (if she had indeed been the one behind the thwarted assassination attempt at Vincent's life, which Vincent deemed likely). Too bad he still thought he could not mention it to Vitani, for her hearing what Vincent's sister might have been up to could render Vitani reckless, though Vincent began to realize that was just an excuse he made to fool himself. The truth was, he just didn't have the guts to explain to Vitani how he himself had in fact been the one to prepare the clan for a confrontation with the lions, both mentally and physically.   
Indeed, before Vincent had met Vitani, the only thing stopping him from leading an attack against the lions himself had been the prospect of a possible defeat! But having to confess that would of course put a real damper on his developing relationship with Vitani.

Kiruhu, on the other hand, was not just willing to let the lioness turn back, not now that she had followed him this far onto his road towards personal redemption already, a road which would finally lead the cheetah away from a past that would otherwise continue to stalk him for the rest of his days, or so he thought.

Both males contemplated on a way to persuade Vitani to stay the course, and it seemed Kiruhu was the better liar, as he spoke up first (to Vincent's relief). First, the cheetah turned back and approached Vitani.

"Ma'am I know you're tired. I know you're cold. We all are, I'm just better at pretending I'm not, and the hyena just doesn't want to look weak in front of you," Kiruku spoke in his most compassionate manner, whilst still retaining his characterizing cool.

"Don't ma'am me..." Vitani mumbled.  
Vincent was a bit embarrassed at Kiruhu's sharp observations, but did not protest. Kiruhu continued.

"Look, miss, I'm trying to help you here. We're just minutes away from the Pass, turning back now would mean that all the cold, exhaustion and hardship we're enduring now would have been in vain. And once we get to the Pass, you'll have nothing to worry about anymore, it'll all be over before sundown."

"Come on, Sunshine, you heard the man, just a bit further and you'll have seen the last of these bloody passes."

Kiruhu suddenly giggled at Vincent's comment, and both Vincent and Vitani stared at him, a bit confused, as for all they knew Kiruhu usually wasn't the giggling type. And although he felt a bit like he'd been caught of guard, the cheetah was able to ignore their stares and quickly addressed Vitani once more, before any annoying questions could arise.

"Just try thinking 'bout something warm, ma'am, that always helps me out."

And as soon as Kiruhu saw the grin on Vitani's face, he knew he finally had her convinced.

"I'll try thinking 'bout last night..." Vitani grinned at Vincent who was by now sitting next to her. He smiled back and gently licked her muzzle, after which she returned the favor.

Finally! Seeing as how neither Vincent nor Vitani had really acknowledged their mutual feelings after they had gotten up that morning(still locked in a firm embrace from the night before), they both felt relieved to know the other one had no regrets about what had come to pas earlier. To the contrary: Vitani, for one, had never felt better for a long, long time. She was still a bit confused though, as she couldn't really name the feelings she had for Vincent. She supposed it felt a bit like love, but in a rather unusual way (the least one could say considering she was a lion and he was a hyena); certainly not the way Kovu loved Kira for example, nor the way she had loved her brothers or her mother. Maybe it was a bit like the love a mother has for her cubs. Yeah, that was about it: she loved Vincent like the big, smelly cub he was, always getting himself into all sorts of trouble. And one way or another, she had felt like that since the first time they had met, nearly two years ago at the edge of the Wastelands.

With renewed energy, the group continued the climb towards the pass. The weather, however, kept deteriorating: the winds got stronger and the clouds got both thicker and darker. And as he stared at the ever-shrouded twin peaks that comprised the White-Passes, Kiruhu contemplated on how seemingly fortunate he had been: everything seemed to be going his way, from his encounter with the lioness and her unlikely companion to the blizzard which enthralled the pass. It had to be Destiny, no doubt about it.  
'No-one lives to be that lucky,' Kiruku thought, 'Let's just hope I do.'

Kiruhu's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Vitani suddenly terminated her whispered (and undoubtedly intimate) conversation with Vincent and called out to Kiruhu who was leading the way.

"Hey Kiruhu!"

"Ma'am?"

"Don't ma... whatever. I just wanted to ask you 'bout that tail of yours..."

"Real smooth..." Vincent sighed. Not that he hadn't noticed the shortness of Kiruhu's tail, but Vitani's way of pointing it out was just a bit blunt. But that was Outlander-style for ya, love it or leave it. Kiruhu, however, didn't seem to mind.

"I'm guessing you're referring to it's length. Or rather the lack of it," Kiruku calmly responded.

"Eh, yeah. Sorry I asked... It's just..."

"Don't be, I do not bear secrets regarding my tail. It is just a tail after all... Part of it got bitten off, 's all."

"Ouch... who's the culprit?"

"Well, I didn't really get his name, being busy running for my life" Kiruhu smiled, "All I know is it was a lion."

"Ah... Awkward..." Vitani whispered, "Sorry..."

"Don't be, ma'am. After all, why oh why would I hold a grudge against you, if it wasn't you who bit of my tail in the first place?" Kiruhu commented, trying his best not to sound ironic

"Besides, it could have been a lot worse. I say he got off lucky, just losing his tail," Vincent noted.

"Yes, how lucky of me indeed to lose nothing but my tail to the lions..." Kiruhu grumbled, now unable to hide his irony.

Suddenly, both Vincent and Kiruhu were startled at a cry from Vitani.

"You guys! There's something really weird falling from the sky here!"

Only vincent bothered to look up, instantly noticing a few lone, fluffy white specks gliding down from the clouds. Kiruhu however, as always, kept his cool.

"Don't worry, ma'am. That's just _snow_. It won't hurt you, you can even eat it, although it will turn to water if you do. It's just a bit chill, nothing that extraordinary once you get used to it," he explained. Meanwhile, Vincent looked a bit surprised as the snowflakes he caught disappeared as soon as he touched them.

"I'm not liking what I'm seeing here... Couldn't you tell of this sooner?" Vitani complained.

"You're right, maybe I should have," Kiruku considered, "But then again, did you never wonder why the White Passes were white to start with?"

"You mean there is more of this stuff uphill?" Vitani gasped.

"Don't worry; it's just a bit frosty. And if we make it through the Pass fast enough, it'll be a walk in the park."

"And what if we don't make it through fast enough?" Vincent asked more or less rhetorical.

"Compare it to walking through a desert: if you get from oasis to oasis in time, the heat won't get to you. Snow is a bit like a desert, only that you have to get out of the snow before the cold in stead of the heat gets to you."

Both Vincent and Vitani looked very disturbed after that comment.

"Don't worry, it's not even half as bad as it sounds. I've already gone through the pass countless times without the slightest hints of trouble, so I'm sure predators like you can manage it too."

Vitani groaned profoundly, and so did Vincent. But having come this far already, they decided they could just as well take their chances and face the so called 'snow'. And in doing so they also acknowledged their curiosity concerning whatever it was that seemed to make the White Passes white. It was curiosity that killed the cat.

Not before long though, the snowfall increased dramatically as the group got higher, up unto the point where it covered most of their surroundings in a thick, white veil, which presented a new difficulty: their paws began hurting more and more because of the cold, until they finally started feeling numb, a situation which could not be allowed to endure for too long. And as the snowfall kept increasing still, the visibility decreased in equal measure, as the still present vicious winds blew the snow into their eyes, obscuring their view. To make things worse, Vitani became increasingly tired, deviating dangerously far from Kiruhu, who kept a steady pace.

"Stop! It's too dangerous to go on like this... Ma'am, you okay?" Kiruhu asked Vitani as he paused and turned back

"I can't keep this up," she huffed, barely audible above the noise created by the forming blizzard.

"Right, new plan; we can't lose anyone here, not with zero visibility, 'cause we'll never find you back if we do. Miss, you take point, because you're obviously the slowest of the lot. Me and the hyena will take the tail position" Kiruhu commanded, "Just keep moving forward 'till I give you a pat on the back, okay?"

Vitani nodded: if she'd be up front, she'd at least be the one choosing their walking speed. Vincent agreed as well, seeing as he had absolutely no experience whatsoever when it came to hiking in a blizzard and thus had little choice but to trust Kiruhu in the matter.

"Ok, Miss, I'll make sure you don't take a wrong turn. And you, hyena, make sure you never lose sight of me, okay?"

"Why don't you just call me 'sir'?" Vincent grumbled, commenting on Kiruhu calling him 'hyena' all the time whilst he addressed Vitani as 'ma'am' or 'miss'.

They set of again, Vitani now up front. Early on, Vincent could still see way past Vitani, as well as most of his surroundings. He even sometimes managed to look back. In doing so, he quickly noticed they were becoming surrounded by two slopes; the peaks. That meant they were about to go through the pass in between the peaks; the White Pass.   
However, in time, Vincent's vision became more and more obscured by the increasing snowfall swept up by the relentless winds, not to mention the trouble he had walking through an increasingly dense layer of snow lying on the ground. After a while, he didn't bother to look around him anymore and didn't even dare too look behind him, fearing he'd lose sight of Kiruhu in front of him (as Kiruhu's back was about the only thing he could still see through the white shroud all around him).  
If not for the snow blocking his vision, Vincent would have been able to see the White Pass in front of him: a small maze of deep and shallow canyons, riddled with small cave-ins and ledges. The only way he noticed they had reached it was when the slope began to fade away, signifying they had reached the more or less flat pass. However, after a while, he started feeling they were going up again, and as he looked to his right side, Vincent suddenly saw a massive rock wall rising up next to him: they had been walking in a small canyon and were now climbing out of it. Good thing Kiruhu guided them, or they'd have never found their way across the pass, not in that kind of weather anyway.  
As they continued to climb for quite some time, Vincent began to feel that the winds were more or less subsiding, probably due to the unusual fluxes the canyons, combined with the pass and the blizzard, created. And while the rock wall next to him was slowly evening out (probably signifying they were nearing the top of the canyon), some of Vincent's vision returned, although the snowfall was still omnipresent, forming a white layer on his fur. But at least he was now, for the first time in quite a while, able to see past Kiruhu's backside: his paws, his ears and in front of him nothing but endless whiteness... Nothing but endless whiteness? Vincent froze (albeit still not literally of course). Where was Vitani?

"Kiruhu!" Vincent tried shouting out above the shrill screeches the wind produced as it sped through the canyon below them. Kiruhu, however, just kept on walking (though 'wading' might be a better word in the given circumstances).

"Hey Kiruhu!" Vincent shouted again whilst making an effort to gain on the cheetah, "Kiruhu, Where's Vitani? You've lost Vitani!"

But the cheetah kept ignoring Vincent's plea, until eventually Vincent caught up with the cheetah (which took a comparatively long time because of the hindrance the snow presented).

"Kiruhu!"

Finally, Kiruhu stopped and turned around. Upon seeing the look on Kiruhu's face, Vincent found himself backing off a few paces. He knew that look, it was the same one the cheetah had briefly given him upon their first acquaintance, and now that Vincent came to think of it, it was also the same look Kali had given him just moments before she had chased Vincent down the cliff a few days ago.

"Where's Vitani?"

Kiruhu didn't answer, but in stead just stared at Vincent in contempt, after which he turned around.

"You got of lucky, hyena. I've got nothing against hyenas... good thing for you I just wanted to start of with a clean slate."

Vincent just stared in disbelief. That was it?

"Hey! Don't you turn your back on me! I'm talking to you, you bastard! What did you do to her? Where is Vitani? What the hell did you do to her?" Vincent shouted angrily as he tried following Kiruhu, whilst the winds were coming back again.

"I didn't do anything, hyena. She just got lost walking the White Pass. Accidents can happen 'round these parts, though I do have to admit I was more than happy to accommodate them," Kiruhu commented without the slightest hint of emotion, as he was still continuing his way up the flattening slope. Vincent, however, now fueled by anger, wasn't about to just let him walk away. And although gaining on Kiruhu meant slipping and falling down in the snow twice, it didn't take him long to reach the cheetah again.

"You damn bastard! What do you think you're doing? You're out of you're mind? What did you do to her?"

"I guess I intentionally lost track of her..."

"But... why in the Spirits name... what did she ever do to you?" Vincent gasped in disbelief. This couldn't possibly just be about Kiruhu's tail? But when Kiruhu gave Vincent that look of his again, he suddenly realized what was going on. Vengeance.  
Nothing more, nothing less; just vengeance's blind justice. The only thing which all predators seemed to have in common, the one _lingua franca_ to unite all under the heavens. The thought of it sent a shiver down Vincent's spine, one which even the frostiest of winds could not ever have forced upon him. Standing on the snow-covered ledge with Kiruhu, Vincent suddenly realized how omnipresent it had become, vengeance, how it covered everyone's life like a thick layer of snow, and his own most of all. His father trying to avenge the injustice done to the clan at Priderock all those years ago, Kali trying to avenge her mother, the clan (probably) avenging Vincent's supposed death, and now Kiruhu, taking payback for whatever wrong it was a lion had probably once done onto him. Was that it, was that the purpose of life? Forget the Circle of Life, the one thing that bound every creature great and small called itself not life, but vengeance. And its closest relative, of course: hatred.  
Maybe it was that ghastly notion which made Vincent cross the line between controlled anger and unleashed fury, but more likely he just conformed himself to the principle that one wrong should be undone by another, wanting to make Kiruhu bleed for whatever fate it was that he had condemned Vitani to, as that unfortunate lioness now found herself deserted in a frozen maze, with no-one around to acknowledge her desperate screams for help. It was the thought of Vitani helplessly standing in a snow covered wilderness, left for dead, that ultimately pushed Vincent over the line. Whilst screaming various profanities, Vincent tried leaping forward towards Kiruhu. His attempt, however, was cut short by the abundant snow under his paws, which made him trip. Kiruhu, who had more or less expected a somehow what emotional reaction from Vincent, did of course do his utmost best to counter Vincent's attack by using his superior speed to try and outrun his adversary. In doing so, however, the cheetah made one miscalculation: his speed, combined with him being much lighter that the hyena, meant Kiruhu was actually at disadvantage, as his puny mass meant he had less grip on the slippery surface. Realizing this, albeit too late, Kiruhu was suddenly caught by panic and tried desperately to wade away from his opponent, to no avail: in a matter of seconds, Vincent had come close enough to Kiruhu to pounce him, what he thus did.  
Here, it was Vincent who made the mistake, as he forgot pouncing Kiruhu would get them both sliding, and sliding is not necessarily a good thing when you're fighting on a narrow ledge. And so, even before Vincent got the time to gnaw at Kiruhu's neck, they found themselves both falling down the ledge, towards the maze they'd been trying to get out of.   
As Vincent had been the one to jump Kiruhu, he was the one on top, and so the cheetah was the first one to hit the scattered, snow covered rocks spread out all over the slope as they sled down (as the ledge was actually more of a very steep lope than an actual ledge). And although Vincent got his share of rocks smashed onto his body too, he was still in a notably better shape when he hit the bottom of the canyon with a muted thump, not audible because of the still ever-present screeching winds around him. Although stunned for a moment, and feeling like he had fallen down a cliff two times in succession in under three days time (which happened to be the case, again), he was still able to get up. It took him a while to regain his orientation, not to mention he had to overcome the pain that comes with falling down from high elevations, but eventually he spotted Kiruhu, a few meters in front of him. The cheetah jut lay motionless in the snow, which had already started partially covering him.

"You happy now, huh? You been anxious for this? You stupid bastard!" Vincent shouted as he dragged himself towards Kiruhu. He tripped halfway.

"Ow! Uh... look at what you've done, damn idiot! Look!" Vincent coughed as he laboriously tried getting up again. The cheetah, however, remained motionless still.

"Like hell I'm letting you of so easy... You're gonna bleed for what you did to Vitani... Ow!" Vincent shouted, until he bumped his paw onto a stone which had been obscured by the snow, and tripped yet again. Angry, desperate and frustrated as he was feeling colder by the minute and kept tripping over, Vincent turned to the heavens and produced the loudest swear he had ever mustered, but the only response he got was the winds' never subsiding howling. And as despair got a hold of him, he then just sat down, sobbing, contemplating on the events that had led him there. But most of all, his thoughts went out to Vitani, who was probably in a comparable mess by now.

Then, suddenly, like a lone ray of sunlight to break through the cloud deck, Vincent imagined hearing a faint sound above the noise produced by the winds. He turned his head in the hopes of hearing something again, and indeed: not before long his big ears caught the sound again. He imagined hearing someone's voice. Could it be? Seeing as he was really out of options and hoping he had really heard someone, that someone being Vitani of course, he tried shouting again with all the strength he had left in him.

"Vitani!"

Immediately after shouting her name, he broke out in cough again, as the fatigue and cold air started to hamper his breathing. But as he had to listen closely again, he tried his best suppressing his cough. For a moment, all he could hear was his own echo, be it real or imaginative, but then, suddenly, he heard his own name resounding through above the wind's empty howl. As he felt too tired to both move and shout simultaneously, he tried pouring all his effort in shouting even more, hoping Vitani could find him through the blizzard, although he knew the chances of that ever happening were slim at best when taking the distortions that come with a peculiar location such as a mountain pass into account.  
But against all odds, against all laws of nature it seemed, Vincent began hearing his own name being shouted at an ever closer proximity. Maybe it had been the Kings of old guiding her paws, or the Spirits directing Vincent's voice towards her, or maybe it was just sheer luck; regardless, within a few short moments that seemed to drag on for an eternity, Vitani's posture appeared through the curtains of snow. Vincent didn't believe his own eyes at first, as the snow made the image of her pale and blurred, nearly unrecognizable. But when he could finally appreciate her heavenly blue eyes, he knew it was Vitani. Now fueled by sheer joy and relief, Vincent managed to crawl back onto his paws and stumble forth towards her. His exclamations of relief, however, got stuck halfway his soar throat.

"Vincent!" Vitani cried out as she too waded forward. Just before reaching her, however, the hyena tripped again, falling face down in the snow, unable to immediately get up again.

"Heavens! What happened to you!"

"I... fell... down..."

"Thank the Kings you're still all right! You were gone all of a sudden."

"I... thought I lost... you," Vincent mumbled, hardly audible. Vitani licked his muzzle, but he couldn't feel a thing, as it was all numb of the cold.

"What happened back there?"

"K... Kiruhu..."

Both stared at the cheetah, now covered in snow for a moment, when Vincent addressed Vitani again.

"I thought I'd lost you..."

"You did, for a second there, you did. But we can't talk now, we got to get out of this place!"

Without further ado, Vitani waded forward towards Kiruhu and gently grabbed him between her yaws, dragging him forward. As he had the energy nor the spirit to tell of Kiruhu's betrayal, Vincent just followed Vitani, stumbling behind her. She was right, if they didn't got out of the snow and wind fast enough... Then, suddenly, Vitani stopped to look around, after which she put Kiruhu on the ground again .

"This is useless, we can't see anything... and we don't know where to go anyway now that our guide is out cold..." she sighed with a hint of despair.

"Te ledge... there's a way out of this canyon... just stick to the rock wall," Vincent uttered, not willing to give up now that he'd finally found Vitani again, not willing to face the inevitable, though he was pretty sure he couldn't make it out even if they were to find the ledge. Nonetheless, Vitani picked up Kiruhu again, and then followed Vincent, who had by now reached the snow-covered wall, leaning against it to combat the fatigue.  
But as they stumbled on, Vincent, regularly using the rock wall for support, began to face the facts: they weren't getting out of the White Pass alive, chances were they wouldn't even find the ledge: they were probably going the wrong way anyway. Then, whilst Vincent once again tried to secure support against the rocks, he suddenly disappeared from Vitani's sight. Panicking, she leaped forward, fearing fate had once again spat in her face, only to find Vincent had stumbled upon a small hidden cave, the entrance of which had been previously covered in snow. Whilst still carrying the unconscious (or maybe dead, she wasn't sure) Kiruhu, Vitani stumbled into the cave as well to check on Vincent, who seemed to be about KO. She put the cheetah on the stone floor and looked behind her, at the blizzard which still raged on outside. They weren't going any further, that she now knew. Their story 'd end here, in a cave somewhere in between the White Passes' twin peaks. Staring outside, she heard Vincent groaning.

"Hey, you're still with me? Don't you walk out on me, you hear?" she tried encouraging him, though Vitani's voice was by now losing much of it's force.

"I... I'm sorry..."

"Come on, Vincent, don't give up now... It's not over yet... We can still..."

But Vitani couldn't end her sentence, as her words stayed stuck in the back of her throat. She wasn't fooling anyone, it was over.

"I...'m sorry I got you mixed up in all of this... sorry I dragged all the way up here..."

Vitani felt her tears slowly making their way down her face as she cried. She just wasn't going to give up, she couldn't just give up.

"No! I won't have it! It's over when it's over!" she suddenly shouted, "No Outlander just gives up like this!"

With renewed determination, she grabbed the now seemingly passed out Vincent and dragged him to the back of the cave, and Kiruhu as well, after which she returned to the entrance and shoved as much snow as possible towards the opening.

"We're getting out of this, you'll see," she mumbled franticly, "We're safe here... there's no wind here, and the rocks will keep out the cold, yeah, they'll keep it out, you'll see..."

After she had nearly shut the entrance, she headed back to Kiruhu and Vincent, setteling down next to them and pulling them closer to her.

"We'll just keep each other warm 'till it's gone, 'till the snow and clouds are gone, 'till it ain't cold no more... and the sun 'll shine..." she sobbed, believing not a word of what she said. And as she drifted ever further away from consciousness, she eventually became convinced she'd die in that cave, a lonely lioness laying side by side with a cheetah and a hyena.


	8. Leave behind the future

**Leave behind the future...**

"_What's the matter with you? This has been going on for weeks now, what's up with all that cynicism all of a sudden?" _

_I wish I knew, my love. What is the matter with me? _

Kiara's words still echoed through Kovu's mind. It had been about one night and one day since they had had their argument, and they hadn't spoken since. Kovu couldn't even remember the last time they had avoided each other for that long, probably because it had never before occurred. They had been together almost constantly for more than a year on end, but now… Kovu still loved Kiara with all his heart, and she still loved him, that he knew for sure. But somehow, overnight it seemed, something had gotten in between them. And at first, as he always did, Kovu had blamed himself for it, trying to suppress whatever it was that seemed to hinder Kiara. But in doing so, in suppressing his thoughts and blaming himself, he was actually nurturing the part of him which Kiara feared the most. For blaming one's self inevitably leads to guilt. And it was guilt which had put Kovu on the deviant path he was walking now.  
Guilt had been the one thing to dominate Kovu's life with Simba's pride, ever since that terrible day, over one year ago. The unbearable guilt he felt for both his brother and his mother's passing. Indeed, Kovu blamed himself for that tragedy, considering himself both the cause of it, as well as the one who had been able to prevent it, but failed to do so. And the thought of that tormented him, it slowly ate him up inside with each passing day. But he kept his problems to himself, as he feared mourning his family would not at all be appreciated by his new king (as they had both died trying to kill him). And as a future king, he felt it was highly inappropriate to show signs of weakness. But in doing so, in keeping his personal issues to himself, he gave his feelings the chance to fester and develop their own momentum, slowly but surely changing Kovu, revealing parts of a mindset he had thought nonexistent within himself. And that mindset had started to show, he had tried suppressing that as well.  
But his efforts in the matter had all changed approximately one month ago, during what should have been the start of a new raining season, a raining season that had yet to start, strangely enough. In a sudden flash of insight, all had seemingly become clear to Kovu. From the moment he heard Simba was planning on celebrating the reunion, thus more or less celebrating Zira's passing, something had snapped within him.  
He had suddenly realized he was not to blame. Simba was. It was because of his doing, both in past and present, the Pridelanders and Outlanders had come to clash. Whether Simba had been right to do all those things, Kovu had not figured out yet, for that was greatly dependent of which version of the truth he chose to abide with. And what it was exactly that Simba had done wrong, Kovu didn't know either. Those were questions he'd have to find answers for later. But he did know one thing: if anyone were to blame for Nuka and Zira's passing, it was Simba, not Kovu.  
This new insight, however, he had had kept secret as well, (rightly) fearing it could damage his position within the pride. So he had just contemplated in silence, weeks on end, carefully reconsidering all versions of the past ever handed down to him, being careful not to let his revisionist tendencies reach the ears of Kiara and Simba. True, sometimes a little remark had gotten through, puzzling or upsetting Kiara now and then. But never like had happened yesterday, which was of course a direct consequence of Vitani failing to return home, making Kovu sick with worry. Hoping to avoid such scene in the near future, Kovu had wanted to straighten things out with Kiara again immediately, sleeping over it during the day, after which he had wanted to send Enyi out looking for Vitani whilst Kovu himself would straighten things out with Kiara.  
Kiara, however, had beaten Kovu to it, as she had spoken to her father long before Kovu even got the chance to confront her. And so, Kovu had, in stead of being able to look for Enyi (who could have gone searching for Vitani), been pressured to accompany Simba on a hunt. A hunt which had turned out to be more of an inquiry, and no subtle one either. But Simba's talk with him had actually had the reverse effect Simba had hoped for on Kovu, as he now also blamed Simba for the disappearance of Vitani.

_Think about it: I sent Vitani to whatever fate it is that has befallen upon her because I wanted to avoid Simba having a run in with scavengers. Vitani thus went missing because Simba came over. And now, with his pathetic indoctrination he made to look like a hunt, he has wasted an entire night Enyi could have spent looking for Vitani. What coincidence that he seems to be at the base of the demise of every last one of my closer relatives, from my dad to my sister. Well, maybe not dad… word has it he was eaten alive by hyenas… I should probably ask next time I meet one. But it lies beyond doubt Simba orchestrated all of it, even if he didn't dealt the finishing blow himself._

But as the sun rose, Kovu realized those thoughts would have to wait 'till a more appropriate moment, as he now still had an obligation to his sister Vitani; he wasn't about to give up on her yet. Of course, he couldn't go looking for her himself, as that would lead to a whole lot of annoying questions from the part of Simba as to the actual nature of Vitani's little quest. But he could send Enyi, the other conspirator.  
That suddenly reminded Kovu: Kiara was in on his plan to cut some dealings with the hyenas as well!

_Oops. Should have remembered that before I started yelling at her... Kovu, imbecile! This complicates things… If she tells Simba, things could go awkward… especially since that little talk I had with the king just now._

The subtle father-son-in law talk he had had only moments earlier had indeed not really been that productive, unless Kovu's aim would have been to annoy, confuse and overly upset Simba (which were exactly the things Kovu was hoping to avoid).

* * *

"Kovu, slow down. We need a word…"

Kovu reluctantly slowed his pace, letting Simba gain on him.

"Yeah, I figured as much," he mumbled. From the looks of it, Simba wasn't that eager to start the conversation either.

"I-eh… I had a chat with Kiara the other night about… about your little argument. I've-eh, I've slept it over, and I figured it'd be best if we…" Simba hesitatingly told Kovu. But the utmost inert look on Kovu's face, and the fact he didn't try to respond to Simba, made the king break off his sentence halfway. For a couple of seconds, he just uneasily stared away from Kovu, whilst Kovu himself did just the opposite, openly glaring at his father-in-law. He was kinda hoping that Simba'd begin feeling so uncomfortable he'd let go his subject even before he got to it. But Simba didn't flinch, as he hardened his gaze and decided to look Kovu straight in the eyes.

"Son, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Why would there be?"

Simba sighed at Kovu's feeble attempt to avoid conversation. It annoyed him.

"Look here, son, I might not be as young as I used to be, but don't take me for a fool. I've been a king for long enough now to see when something off. We need a word about what you said to Kiara the other night."

"Apparently…"

"Please Kovu, don't make me drag it out of you. What was it you said to Kiara?"

"I just told her what I thought about your little 'soirée' after the anniversary of the Reunion…"

"That's not all you said. You were talking about '_them'_."

"And who might '_them_' be?" Kovu sneered with sudden viciousness, surprising both himself and Simba. But much to Kovu's own stupefaction, he didn't just stop there. As Simba stared at him with certain indignation, clearly signaling it was pretty obvious who 'them' were, Kovu snapped at Simba again.

"And what do you know, let this be exactly what I was talking about! Am I really the only one who is able to mention their names without acting like it somehow hurts my throat? To everyone else it's just _'they', 'them', 'him', '__her_'... Them who should not be named! Come on, _dad_, let those names pass your lips too, for a change; amaze me!"

Simba started to grimace even further, now looking genuinely upset, even a bit angry.

"I don't like that tone your taking there…"

But in stead of backing down, Kovu just grinned malignly: he had descended into the same mind state he had experienced in his talk with Kiara.

"Well, I guess you don't like the sound of those names either, eh? But why should you, after all, that's all in the past now, isn't it? Yes, all behind us now…"

_Yes, we're all friends now, aren't we?_

"Kovu, I'm warning you…"

"Why yes, let's just never speak of it again, then it'll probably all go away by itself."

"But there's nothing that has to go away! There is nothing to speak of," Simba growled in frustration.

"Then why did you want to talk to me, seeing as there's nothing to talk about?"

"In the Kings' name, Kovu, its you we've got to talk about! You're choosing a difficult path here, son… I'm begging you: don't! Don't make the mistake Zira made."

Now Simba surprised himself by speaking his mind when he shouldn't have, as it would just spark up more animosity. But he did nonetheless, and much to his shock, it just seemed to amuse Kovu, albeit in a seemingly sinister manner.

"Ah, so there we have it! By mentioning her mere name, I might just maybe repeat my mother's mistakes (whatever those may be). And that's not even so surprising, I'm Taka's son after all, just the son of the hated usurper... and to you, I'll never be more than that, now will I? And seeing as how his blood flows through my veins, even the slightest mention of his name can turn me over to 'his' side again… ha, what a joke…"

Simba looked a bit ashamed at the remark he had let slip, but he refused to cave I now.

"Kovu, please, try to understand… it's not you , it's not their names; those haven't got anything to do with it. It's the underlying message, the pretexts those names embody. How you think about them, your parents, how you think about what they did…"

"And since when did you become a clairvoyant? My thoughts are my own. And I can figure out the truth by myself."

"No, you can't… you'll just figure our _'your_' truth… '_their'_ truth."

"And why would that be any more erroneous than yours?" Kovu coldly noted, flabbergasting Simba, whose nose began smelling faint traces of betrayal, "After all, everyone else involved with a different viewpoint being dead isn't really what I'd call a legitimate ground for justification."

And as Simba just stared in disbelief, Kovu couldn't help but consider '_What irony that one killer of lions is branded a usurper, whilst another killer of lions is crowned king…'_

But he was wise enough to at least keep that one to himself.

* * *

"Finally, here you are!"

As always, Enyi remained unnervingly inert.

"You require my presence, sir?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I've been looking for you all morning. 't Was a good thing you weren't out hunting again."

"You could have had someone summon me…"

"Indeed I could have," Kovu frowned, "But I wanted to talk to you 'bout our little secret, and the more lions get involved the less of a secret it becomes."

"Sire?"

'Get to the point already,' Kovu could almost hear her think.

"Well, the truth is I have another favor to ask you. Now, I know you've already been more than helpful, and I've already asked a lot of you: I understand it's not easy to have to lie to the king…"

"You are our king, sire. You're orders rank above our allegiance to Simba."

"Yeah but… huh? I am? They do?" Kovu responded a bit surprised, imagining briefly not having heard what Enyi said, "I think you're a bit premature on that, I ain't no king just yet…"

_And I doubt Simba will ever give me the opportunity now that I've pissed him of so…_

"My liege, my loyalty, and I dare say that of all Outlanders, lies with you. You should never doubt that. We followed you into Simba's pride…"

_And you'll follow me back out again?_

"That's… good to know… So you won't mind another law-defying assignment, I assume?"

"Thy bidding is my command," Enyi replied stoically.

"I guess that counts as some sort of consent… anyhow, I assume you noticed Vitani hasn't come back yet."

"I'm not the only one who noticed. I hope that little story you told Simba sticks for the time being."

"Well, as I'm the better liar among the two of us, as you pointed out the other day, I'm pretty sure we've still got a couple of days before the king becomes suspicious…"

_Or less, if me and Simba end up in argument again, or if Kiara has a little slip of the tongue. _

"I'm also pretty sure Vitani is probably fine, but I'm not taking any chances; I've got few enough relatives as it is," Kovu grinned, but Enyi remained as motionless as ever, "So I'm asking you to go find her.

"Sounds easy enough…"

"Well, would you look at that, Enyi discovered irony! There might just be hope for you still."

But Enyi didn't even let loose a faint smile, so Kovu had to reconsider.

"Hmmm, to you, humor is just something that happens to _other_ lions, isn't it?" Kovu sighed, "Anyhow, as doubt it'll be 'easy enough', I think it'd be best if you considered a somehow what… subtle approach to locating Vitani."

"I sneak in?"

"Pretty much, yeah. To that end, it might be a good idea to pick a different route than Vitani did, just 'till you're on hyena prime. Try following the White Pass-river, then sneak in through the hills to the northeast, past the Elephant Graveyard."

"Isn't that very rough terrain?"

"Once you leave the river and head into the hills, yeah. But that's the point; no-one would be stupid enough to attack through that kind of terrain, so there'll be less surveillance," Kovu explained.

"And a bit of rough terrain doesn't scare a true Outlander," Enyi added with in a certain self-righteous manner.

"That's one way to put it… But do make sure you keep it clean, all right? I sent Vitani there to solve problems, not to aggravate them. If need be, fight your way out, but don't fight your way in unless you have to do so to get to Vitani; her well-being is of course of primary concern. So remember: first, look after yourself, then look after Vitani, then try keeping the peace. Got that?"

"Nothing to it, sire. Consider it done."

_And now hope she's as able as she is self-confident…_

After a formal greeting, in which Enyi almost hailed Kovu as the king (which he wasn't just yet, so she didn't), she took of without further comment, feeling confident Kovu would be more than able to make something up to explain for her departure to the pride; it would after all be just another lie in an ever growing succession. But as Enyi left, Kovu considered that making up some make-believe reason for Enyi leaving wasn't even half-bad, considering the much more difficult task which awaited him now.

"And now for the hard part…" Kovu mumbled as he set out to look for Kiara, so he could try to straighten things out between them again. But considering Simba probably already informed her of Kovu's deviant opinions, that would prove to be a pointless endeavor at best. Or maybe not; Kiara was after all more understanding, even sensible than her father. And his love for her, and her love for him, had already conquered infinitely more difficult challenges, and would hopefully continue to do so.


	9. And embrace the past

**... and embrace the past**

Days of great change are, without exception, never acknowledged for what they are when they take place, and they always leave those who are to take part in them oblivious until after the events that were to shape history have already come to pass. Days of great change, much like the personalities to shape them, never formally present themselves. It has indeed been said you always see such days coming, but only in retrospect. This day would prove to be no different.  
't Was just any other day, just one more day of the ever ongoing drought. One more day of famine, of tensions, of scorching heath. Much like it had for the past weeks, it once again seemed as if the sun didn't even bother to come up, obscured by thick packs of clouds. Clouds that didn't let loose one drop of rain, but just remained inert in the sky, blocking all off light like an enormous shroud that covered the Pridelands and Outlands in thirst, hunger and death. I, of course, didn't see it that way; to me, it was all just a cunning lion trick to annoy me, to mess up my biorhythm. What else could you expect of a youngling like me, who never questioned where food or water came from, and who just believed whatever tale the grown-ups made up to get away from the never-ceasing curiosity of the young. After all, if your parents are up high enough in the hierarchy, droughts and famines never really concern you, especially not when your mother's the matriarch: although food wasn't aplenty, I have to admit I never seemed to be short of it, unlike a lot of others who did suffer greatly from the drought. To ensure things stayed that way, mother once again readied herself for a journey to Priderock, to do nothing short of beg for more food from the King Taka. Where he was to procure that food in the given circumstances, only the Spirits know. As always, the '_odd-couple'_ (whom only mother and a few others bothered to call by their actual names, Edward and Banzaï) tagged along as mother's only modestly useful acolytes. I still wonder why they bothered, seeing as how them being born in the clan ensured they'd never become her mate.  
Anyhow, mom was getting ready to head for Priderock, which was at the time not our actual residence, as about half the clan lived at Priderock, whilst the other half (including me) still had their den at the Elephant Graveyard. Mom had previously lived at the Priderock too, she only returned to her former home at the Elephant Graveyard after me and my sis had been born, a decision which no one understood at the time but which probably saved my life.

Me, dad and Shenya, my sister, were there too, to wish mom good luck on her begging-plea, although only dad really understood what mom was doing; I just considered it one of her many trips made for no good reason whatsoever.

"What humiliation you should beg for food… you, the Matriarch" dad grumbled in his defining cold manner, "Watch yourself out there, all right?"

"I'll watch myself all right, you just make sure ya watch the kids. Make sure they don't do nothing stupid, got it?"

"Hey, Shenzi, cut the small-talk already will ya? We're starving out here! I'm sure Mikhail will still be 'round when we get back," Banzaï interrupted. As always, Edward just giggled, seemingly oblivious to the world. My guess is he got a bit too little oxygen at birth, but I could be mistaking; he isn't around to tell anymore.

"Righ, ya heard 'em, gotta go. See ya soon, darling," mom quickly uttered before kissing dad, "And you guys too. Keep an eye on dad for me, all right?"

Me and Shenya just saluted, as if we'd been given a real assignment. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.  
After one last lick of the manes with me and sis, mom took off. Now, dad was in charge, and he had planned to put his authority over us to good use: he wanted to take us to a small plateau nearby, so we could get a view on he entire Pridelands, which was only fitting now that it belonged to us as well. Mom, however, had never let us out of the den's protection, so we had never gotten a chance to actually see the Pridelands. But now, she wasn't around, now was she? So we went ahead and looked for a nice lookout.   
Of course, the ongoing drought kinda put a damper on things, as it really masked out the inherent beauty of the Pridelands. But getting a view on the barren Pridelands is better than getting no view at all, so me, dad and sis set out on our little trip, trying to find higher ground (which is pretty hard as the Elephant Graveyard is in fact somehow what of a basin, a crater even). But dad was very persistent, as always, and although it took us the better part of the day, we eventually found a decent elevation. It was a bit rocky, but unless the rains would suddenly appear after a seeming eternity of absence, it would be pretty safe.  
But I'm guessing you've already guessed the drought wouldn't ensue: on the one day we wanted it to stay dry, fate decided it wouldn't. First thing that happened was of course a small lightning-storm, something extremely dangerous if it happens in dry and inflammable surroundings. You get where this is going at?  
Right from the first lightning-strike, me and Shenya had wanted to turn back in terror, but as we were only yards away from the highest part of the rocks, dad told us to keep on moving: we'd already gotten that far, why stop now?. So we continiued. Then, when we reached the part of the rock that would give us a nice view over the Pridelands, everything happened at once, as we were gazing over the Pridelands.  
The rain started, suddenly pounding down heavily, immediately getting soaked up into the bone-dry ground. As me and Shenya had never before seen rain, we were of course terrified, although dad did his utmost best at calming us.

But looking back, it wasn't the rain which was most scary, as I stood there, staring at the Pridelands... it was the reddish glow in which all of the Pridelands seemed to be drenched in, Priderock most of all. The Pridelands were ablaze, caught in a magnificent yet terrorizing inferno. I'd never seen such massive fires ever before: they seemed to cover the better part of the Pridelands... The rain of course put out most of the fire in a reasonably short time, but as the fire had been utmost destructive and intense, the damage had already been done; much of the Pridelands now lay in ruin after a drought and a massive firestorm. But even after so much destruction, there was still one thing more terrifying than the fire, it was the Priderock. I'd never again get the opportunity to look at the Priderock that clearly, seeing it rise up high above the lands, pitch-black in the wake of the storm, both impressive and intimidating. On it, we could distinguish a lone figurine: tall, proud, intimidating, regal. Upon the rock stood not Taka, or Scar as he was infamously called, but another lion, seemingly stronger, bigger and more powerful. In one word, more dangerous. As to illustrate that, the strange lion roared, and his roar echoed over all the land, even reaching as far as our little rock-formation. Although I hadn't the slightest notion of what that strange lion's roar meant, it immediately sent a shiver down my spine. Much in contrast to me, my sis did seem to realize what was going on.

"Daddy, is mommy all right?"

Dad just stared at Priderock in disbelief, and I can't say I blame him. It must have looked quite surreal. As always, though, he was quick enough to get over the surprise.

"Kiddos, we're heading back home… now!"

And he just turned round and began walking towards the Elephant Graveyard again, without any further explanation.

"But dad, where's mommy?"

"Not now, comrade. Come along, hurry it up!"

So we just headed back home, in the pouring rain which made walking the rocks we were on a life-threatening endeavor, but that didn't slow dad down one bit. Of course, we couldn't keep up with an adult without cutting some corners, so it didn't take long before Shenya hurt her leg, forcing dad to carry her. I can imagine he didn't mind too much: it made sure he didn't have to answer any more difficult questions we might pose. We didn't exchange a single word along the way. It must've been somewhere late in the afternoon when we got back to the Elephant Graveyard, by now soaking wet and overly miserable.  
The clan was in total chaos. At first, I hoped it was because of the rain, but I was soon to be proven wrong. At the center of the chaotic clan's attention were about three of our clanmates, surrounded by a thick pack of bystanders. With some mild pressure, dad was able to part the crowd, allowing us to have a look at what everything was all about.   
Apart from having some of their fur scorched off (probably a direct consequence of the firestorm earlier) the trio at the center of the clan's attention didn't seem all that peculiar. But Kali's mother (Kali, the broad who chased us off the cliff, remember?), who was by the way the only one who seemed to be able to keep her calm, clearly thought otherwise, as she interrogated them in a less-than-subtle manner. She halted when she saw dad.

"Mikhail, tank the Spirits, there you are! Where's Shenzi? I need to talk to her right now, there's…"

"… trouble at the Rock, yeah, I figured as much."

"Huh?" Kali's mom replied in confusion, "How…"

"Not important. Tell me what happened, how it happened and who made it happen."

"Hey, do remember who you're talking to, will ya?" Kali's mom grumbled a bit annoyed because dad was obviously commanding her, whilst it should have been the other way 'round.

"Please, Sunshine, I'm trying to help here, we can do without formalities for now."

After short hesitation, she seemed to agree with dad and then she reluctantly told him what she'd gotten out off the three hyenas behind her. Turned out they had ran all the way from Priderock, and they had witnessed Simba's return and the ensuing lionesses' uprising, which had targeted the part of the clan present at Priderock. The three hyenas to whom Kali's mom had talked to had been the first, and still only ones to have made it back to the Elephant Graveyard after a failed counter attack of the hyenas present at Priderock.

"You mean there was a fight at the Rock, and we lost?" dad wondered. Kali's mom just nodded. Surprisingly, dad remained stoic, even after Shenya asked the question which must have been haunting him as well.

"Dad, didn't mom go to see King Taka?"

"Dear Spirits…" Kali's mom mumbled after dad had confirmed Senya's suggestion, "You mean the Matriarch is…?"

"We have to assume so," dad nodded without the slightest hint of emotion, "We'll have to do without Shenzi for now, I'm afraid... We'll have to look out for ourselves first. We can't do anything to help yet; the Matriarch is on her own for the time being."

"But we can't just…"

"We have little choice, do we? Look around you, Sunshine, our clan's in panic and chaos. That rabble is in no shape to face the lions, not now that half of us are still left at the Rock."

"But… What do we do then, we can't just wait here and hope for the survivors to make it back here on their own? We have to do something!"

"Indeed we can't just wait," dad noted, even colder than usual, "We can't wait here. We have to run to the hills as soon as possible."

"What?" Kali's mom exclaimed in shock, "You're not truly suggesting we abandon our home, not to mention all the survivors who are still stuck at Priderock and are probably retreating here?"

In stead of replying, dad just signaled one of the three refugees, who slowly slacked towards him upon being ordered to do so. I can still remember the look in her eyes… 't was seemingly empty.

"Right, you tell me what happened!" dad commanded to the refugee, "You tell me what the lions did."

"We... we tried attacking them… we did… but they were too strong, they were almost invulnerable! We tried fighting them… but we didn't take a single one down, we didn't… Everyone's gone! When we broke and ran, they hunted us all down… they'll come get us… They'll kill us all! We can't stop them!"

Dad turned to Kali's mom again.

"Exactly my point. Regardless of what really happened out there, why the lions suddenly turned hostile and butchered us, it is now only a matter of time before they come here and take care of the rest of us. We're weak and vulnerable, possibly even leaderless; only if they were lead by a weak-hearted fool would the lions not seize this opportunity to eradicate us once and for all. I know I would," dad explained with mild condescension. Kali's mom just stared at dad, seemingly shocked, unwilling to follow his cold logic.

"But we can't just leave… any survivors would…"

"If we don't leave, there won't be any survivors! The lions will come here, I'm sure of it! And when they do, we wouldn't stand a chance; even if we could put up a fight (which I dare doubt), we wouldn't last: this place is a death-trap! We'd be stuck fighting on lower ground, and the lions could easily surround us and block off all exits. We'd have nowhere to retreat to but the caves, we'd be stuck in those deep and dark caves filled with poisonous fumes. If possible, I'd like to prevent our clan from getting gassed."

"Perhaps… But I'm not leaving here before all survivors from Priderock are accounted for! I refuse to leave them behind, and I don't understand how you could! Shenzi is with them, for Spirits' sake! Of all hyenas, how could you just abandon her? I'd rather die than leaving our clanmates behind."

"How noble..." dad noted with a whim of cynicism, "But that's not what I asked of you, nor what I was suggesting: I was, in fact suggesting you lead the clan to the hills, whilst I stay behind with a handful of able clanmates to recover anyone else who might have made it back from Priderock. I'm just saying we shouldn't risk all of our clan waiting (or, Spirits help us, go find) survivors."

"That's ridiculous, I'm not running from those savage beasts!"

"I'm not asking you to run. I'm asking you to lead the clan out of harm's way. As head of the second-highest ranking family-line, that's your duty: if no-one else makes it back from Priderock, the clan will be counting on you."

That was of course an offer she couldn't refuse: Kali's mom was practically promised leadership over the clan in case Shenzi didn't return, even though my sister, the true heir, was still alive. But in times of great need, you often make promises you don't intend to keep.

Anyway, long story short, Kali's mom rounded up most of the clan and took off towards the hills (beyond which lay the Wastelands) whilst me, dad and sis stayed behind with a couple of other battle-ready hyenas, just in case we'd have to fight our way back. I often wondered why dad decided not to send us with the clan, to safety, but in stead kept us with him, it seemed a bit odd. But consider this: were we, children of the missing matriarch, really that safe around someone who could potentially become the new matriarch if we were to disappear as well? So we stayed behind, in the Elephant Graveyard, waiting for survivors, not saying a word: it had already become clear to me and Shenya what fate had probably befallen onto our mom, but the less we spoke of it, the less feasible it seemed to become, so we just didn't speak at all.  
Hours passed, and the rain poured down still. Night began to fall. Every now and then, one sole survivor would come stumbling out into the Graveyard, each one more badly hurt and burned than the previous one. And they all told the same story, one of bitter defeat, endless carnage and painful flight All in all, the survivors added up to nine. Half of our enormous clan had been reduced to nine battered, hardly living carcasses.

Then, as we were just about to give up hope of mom ever returning and seek out the remains of the clan, out of the shimmer and rain, one figurine seemed to appear, moving forth provocatively slow. As it came closer, we saw it were in fact two shades to draw near, one dragging the other along with it. But before they reached us, the one shade to still stand upright collapsed, so we all ran forth to help them. At first, I didn't recognize them, as they were both soaking wet and severely burned on multiple parts of their body, not to mention the many battle scars that covered them. Dad immediately rushed towards the one who had been dragging forth the hyena next to him. Dad could hardly recognize him, as his face had been severely mangled, he had even sustained damage to one of his eyes. But as he moved closer, he could recognize the moaning and incoherently mumbling Banzaï, whom he tried to talk to. Meanwhile, me and sis had moved closer to the other hyena lying next to him, the one he had been dragging along. She was burned and wounded as well, whilst also covered in mud and dirt after being dragged around.  
I can still smell it; molten fat, burned flesh, scorched hair… sickening… Then I noticed: it was mom. Me and Shenya immediately rushed forward, of course, glad to have our mom back. But we didn't cheer, we cried, 'cause it was obvious she hadn't really come back; 't was only a body devoid of all life that lay before us. We tried cuddling and waking her, but she moved nor drew breath, and she felt cold and wet. Each time I think back, I can't help but remember the grotesques of it all: her mouth slightly open, manes wet, full of dirt and sticking to her neck, gazing at us with half-open but unseeing eyes…I've never again felt as bad as I did then, I really haven't.

"And that's it. That's the one dream to visit me every now and then, to haunt me till the very edges of the world, even to this desolate place…"

"It's not easy losing your mom… I know the feeling…" Vitani sobbed after having listened to Vincent's tale, "But it helps to talk, right?"

"Yeah... It's always better to come clean with the past…" Vincent sighed. But he lied, he hadn't come clean with the past, for he had refused to tell Vitani the second part of his dream, the part he hadn't dreamed ever before (as his dream usually ended when he was confronted with the corpse of Shenzi). And it had in fact been the second part of his vision to bother him the most.

* * *

"S-Shenzi?"

Mikhail froze after he turned his head away from Banzaï, towards Shenzi's body. Whilst continuously crying her name, he sat down next to her and slid his paw beneath her neck. He gently pulled her to him. Vincent and Shenya were still both firmly pressed to her. Much to the surprise of any bystanders, Mikhail started to weep as he tried to lick Shenzi's manes clean; they weren't used to cold Mikhail displaying such vulnerability. After a while, he stopped and just pressed his face to Shenzi. She felt cold. The badly wounded Banzaï, still lying next to Shenzi, lift up his mangled head.

"I-Is… is she alright?"

Mikhail didn't respond immediately, but kept sobbing in stead for another minute or so, as did his offspring. Then, he suddenly got up, his face covered in dirt, tears and a little blood.

"She's gone… She was already gone when you brought her here…"

Banzaï gasped.

"But… how could she… she was just talking to me only minutes ago…"

But Bazaï didn't know Shenzi had suffered from massive internal bleeding as a result of countless bites and blow she had endued at the Rock; sometimes, it are the wounds you don't notice that are most dangerous. It remained unsure just how long Banzaï had been dragging along a lifeless corpse.

"It doesn't matter anymore… She's gone… Thanks, Banzaï," Mikhail whispered, "You're a loyal friend to have brought her here, even if she didn't make it. Now we can at least say farewell in a decent manner…"

Meanwhile, the pups were still petrified with grief, and thus largely immobile. Mikhail, however, brutally cut their mourning short as he pushed them away from the body of their mother. The pups, of course, violently protested, to no avail.

"We have no time to mourn, we have to move on. They were probably the last ones to make it from Priderock, anyone to have moved any slower is already dead. We have to leave before the lions get here."

"For Spirit's sake, Mikhail," Banzaï coughed as he tried getting up, "Give them a minute, for pity's sake…"

"If we want to get you out of here alive, we won't have a minute," Mikhail snapped, "It's nothing short of a miracle you got this far…"

He then looked at Shenzi, still lying on the ground out in the pouring rain. He turned to the rest of the present hyenas around him.

"All of you, help Banzaï up and get out of here, head for the rest of the clan. Four of you stay here with me; help me get the Matriarch into a cave. I'm not leaving her out here like this... Who will help me carry her?"

Much to Mikhail surprise, all hyenas around him stepped forward, even the wounded who had survived the battle of Priderock, including the mangled Banzaï. Mikhail just nodded, after which the group grabbed Shenzi's corpse and moved it to the deepest cave in the entire boneyard, deep, cold and dark. The two pups, Vincent and Shenya, followed the adults into the cave for a final goodbye. Vincent was at the tail of the group. As they headed further into the cave, the surroundings darkened, until Vincent eventually found himself surrounded by darkness: nothing in front of him, next to him or behind him but deep and dark blackness, silent blackness.

This couldn't be real. Where was everybody all of a sudden? They had been right in front of him… Where was the cave? Around him were no stone walls, just endless dark space. He wanted to shout, but no sound exited his throat. This couldn't be real. A shrill voice suddenly echoed through the darkness.

"Scared?"

Who's there? Who said that?

"It's me. You haven't forgotten me… that wasn't a question, by the way."

You?

"Me."

You died… You died months ago! This was just a dream… You've already joined mom. You're dead!

"You're right, I am. But I'm here now. Maybe I'm a Spirit… Unless you don't believe in those, of course. If so, I'm just you. Your own mind"

Mikhail? Dad? Why…

"Why the new addition to your dream? 'Cause we need to talk, kiddo. Talk about you."

What about me?

"Isn't it obvious? I'll cut the formalities here, son. You're going the wrong way. You've deviated from the path I set out, and look at what it brought you."

Wha…

"I'll try putting it different, son: did you never wonder why I didn't train Shenya to lead the clan, but you in stead? You didn't? I'll tell you why. Because Shenya is weak. Just like your mother, she's too weak of hearth."

Tell her hat next time she tries to kill me…

"Kindness does not inherently exclude impulsivity. She's lead by her emotions; angry at the start, but inclined to become repentant afterwards. She'll never finish what she started. I thought you would prove to be more…"

Like you?

"Yes. But you disappoint me."

That's 'cause I'm not like you.

"You are. You_ are me_."

I'm not!

"You are. You've just refrained from showing it."

I'm not like you!

"Then where did I come from? Where did my voice sprung from all of a sudden? I'll tell you: out of your own mind, out of your sorry little self. I am you, but you just don't act it. You act weak. You allow treason to run it's course. You leave lions be, or even worse, you befriend them. So why the aversion against me? I made the clan strong, I made it what it is today. Unlike you."

You're a murderer.

"So are you. You just haven't found out yet."

I'm not a murderer…

"No? Strange, I could have sworn your inability to root out traitors has just lead to one of the greatest massacres of your generation. You don't know what that means, do you? No worries, you'll find out 'bout that soon enough… And to prevent such slaughter from happening again, you'll find out just how much of a murderer you are. You'll finish what Shenya started, but you'll put a stop to what she started as well. Too cryptic? Well, too bad. Anyhow... I suggest you give your lion-friend one last hug before it's all over."

What? You leave Vitani out of this…

"How could I? She's right in the middle of it! And She's as good as dead already, thanks to you."

Don't you dare…

"Dare what? Vitani's already dead."

Not if I can help it.

"Whatever the cost?"

…

"Do you still serve the clan?"

Yes.

"You want the clan back?

Yes.

"Whatever the cost? Anything for Vitani... Anything for the clan… Son, it is up to you. Save the clan, save your lioness. _Whatever the cost_. You know, we are the same, you and I: we reach our goals no matter what.  
Maybe you can save the clan, maybe you can save Vitani. But just remember..."

Whatever the cost?

"Self-evident! You'll notice soon enough; some goals do justify any means. Even murder."

No! Never!

Suddenly, upon his rejection of Mikhail's (or whoever voice it was Vincent heard in the darkness) suggestion, the darkness was violently swept away, and in no time, he found himself surrounded by endless savanna. Ablaze. Fires roared all around him, though he did not feel the heat.  
In front of him sat his spitting image, only more scarred, with different eyes. He stared at his clone, until he noticed, in between them, a silent shade on the ground. He looked closer. It was a lioness, she was lying down. Dead. Blood bulged from her mouth, her eyes were turned back. It was Vitani. Vincent's counter-image grinned viciously as he too stared at Vitani's corpse. Blood began dripping from his yaws. He had killed her! Vincent suddenly found himself racing onward towards his own image. Whoever it was, he'd pay dearly for what he had done to Vitani! In stead of fighting, however, the other 'him' ran away, forcing Vincent to chase and hunt him down. The blazing fires conveniently moved away as he chased his foe. Suddenly, he caught it! And it didn't resist, so it only took a few well aimed bites to kill it. After finishing his enemy, he looked back at where Vitani had been previously. But she wasn't there anymore; in hear stead lay the corpse of another, a hyena. Vincent immediately recognized himself, lying mangled in a puddle of blood. _What the_… he turned back to his own prey. But as Vincent lift his blood-soaked face up from his foe, he noticed he hadn't been chasing his own image: beneath him lay... Vitani! Vincent jumped back, startled. Was it her blood dripping from his face? He could imagine hearing a faint laughter in the background. Out of his mind with grief, disbelief and despair, he let loose an incredible scream of agony.

* * *

"Vincent!"

"No!"

The hyena suddenly jumped up, still screaming, pushing back the startled Vitani. She fell on the cave floor, whilst Vincent stood over her, panting frantically, his teeth showing. Drool dripped from his chin onto Vitani, who found herself gazing at the hyena's enraged eyes in terror.

"What are you doing? Its me…" she whispered barely audible. Vincent blinked his eyes, then backed of, startled as he saw just who he had been about to attack. It had all been just a nightmare, which had for a second there, as he had jumped Vitani, almost come to life. But now, he was back to real life. Where was he? What had happened? He remembered so little…

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… oh Spirits…"

"Okay, okay, it's all right. You're safe now."

"W-What happened? Where are we?"

Vitani got up, looked around, then turned her head back to Vincent. She briefly smiled.

"Same place we were yesterday. We're at White Pass."

In a flash, Vincent remembered what had happened prior to his nightmare. They'd climbed towards the White Pass. And then… Kiruhu! That sneaky little rat… He had stabbed them in the back for some reason they weren't aware of yet. He remembered falling down… and being trapped in a blizzard! How had they…

"But how… I just remember endless whiteness… Snow everywhere!"

"Indeed," Vitani confirmed, "But then I stumbled upon this cave here. Seeing as you were both pretty much passed out, I looked for shelter here. And the Kings of old must have smiled upon us today, 'cause we made it, one way or another."

Vincent looked around, and then he noticed to his right an opening, 'round which some snow lay gathered. Sunshine peaked trough. They should have been dead, by all accounts. But the cave and the snow blocking most of the entrance had proven to be superb insulation it seemed. So Vitani was still all right!

"Thank the Spirits and thank your Kings," Vincent exclaimed relieved as he got up and stepped forward to embrace Vitani, who reacted a bit unaccustomed, seeing as the hyena had only moments ago been atop her with his fangs poised to strike.

"Thank heavens you're all right… but… Kiruhu! Where's that lying, backstabbing vermin?"

"The cheetah? He's outside, in front of the cave."

"You let him go?" Vincent gasped.

"Why wouldn't I have?"

"Because he tried to kill us. He wanted to kill you! And you saved his life! But I'll take care of that, I will!" Vincent snarled as he began running out of the cave, despite the soar state his body was in after the previous' day's events. He rushed out into the snow covered canyon. As he got out, however, he was startled by the intensity of the sunlight, relentlessly blinding him by reflecting on the pure white snow. It took a moment before he could adjust to the intense light. Luckily, the very agreeable warmth the sun-rays caused made the otherwise chill surroundings quite bearable. What fortune that the blizzard had disappeared to make way for a clear, blue, cloudless sky.  
Vincent spotted Kiruhu: he just sat a few yards outside of the cave, motionless. He looked a bit bruised. Vincent sprung forward, intent on pinning him down. Much to his surprise, Kiruhu didn't move, even when he noticed Vincent was steaming towards him.

"Die, traitor!" the hyena shouted as he jumped at his prey. But as he was just about to snap his yaws shut around the non-resisting Kiruhu's neck, two enormous paws violently pushed Vincent away, into the melting snow. Vincent tried getting up again, but Vitani's strength and weight kept him firmly pressed to the ground.

"Vincent, calm down! What on earth are you doing?"

"No! I'll get that backstabbing rat! He tried to kill you!"

"He did?" Vitani wondered a bit ironically, "You did, cheetah?"

Kiruhu,, who had by now gotten up again, just nodded.

"You see? Vitani, finish him! Finish that backstabbing piece of filth!"

"By dragging me into that cave with you, you saved me life after I had tried to take yours," Kiruhu suddenly whispered at Vitani, "Because of that, my life now righteously belongs to you. It is your right to do with it as you please…"

"You heard the scum, take him down!" Vincent snarled. Viani seemed to be in doubt for one moment.

"You stay put…" Vitani instructed Vincent as she took her paws of him and turned to Kiruhu. They faced each other, the cheetah bowing down his head indifferently; awaiting the final bite. Vitani licked her lips, and then suddenly struck out with her right paw, mauling Kiruhu right in the face. The cheetah fell sideward, coughing. Blood dripped from his nose onto the white snow. He spat out blood and particles of teeth. Vincent looked a bit disappointed; Vitani just remained motionless after only one blow.

"That'll do…" Vitani grinned darkly.

"But... he's still breathing!" Vincent grumbled disgruntled.

"Yeah. But I'm not the lioness to hold a grudge… I've been pardoned myself a way too many times for that… Kiruhu, you're off the hook."

Both Vincent and Kiruhu stared at Vitani in awe and confusion, Kiruhu most of all. Was that the monster he'd been trying to combat all his life? Was that the blood-thirsty enemy?

"I-I… Thank you, milady… My life is in your debt once again," the cheetah stuttered.

"If it weren't for Vitani, I'd gladly make you pay your debt, treacherous swine…" Vincent grumbled viciously.

"I wouldn't know how to ever repay you!" Kiruhu added, ignoring Vincent's nasty remarks.

"Well, you can start by leading us from this blasted Pass, for one, to a crossing. Considering it even exists."

"It does, I assure you, ma'am, it exists!" Kiruhu greedily reassured Vitani.

"But do try not to get us lost this time, backstabbing vermin…" Vincent grumbled. Not that it would really matter that much: the storm was over, so the mountain couldn't get them anymore. And their timetable mattered neither, as it was (thanks to their little delay atop the White Pass), already too late to stop Shenya. But Vincent nor Vitani knew that, so they continued their journey in ignorance. As they were slowly making their way down (now guided the right way down), Vitani suddenly spoke to Kiruhu.

"Kiruhu?"

"Milady?"

"I bet you won't like to bring it up, but I was just curious, why did you try to kill me anyway? I mean, it does seem to happen a lot to me lately…"

"Doesn't it figure?" Vincent interrupted rudely.

"What?"

"Isn't it obvious why he tried to kill us? I mean, isn't it the same sorry story everywhere? We're all out to get vengeance… and we all have some lame-ass story to justify it. I doubt our little 'friend' here is any different," Vincent snapped bitterly, "I bet some lion at one point in history took down a handful of his relatives, or something alike. It's all so transparent, so routine, isn't it?"

Kiruhu seemed to have trouble responding, as Vincent's words had been deadly accurate at silencing him. Just another sorry-ass excuse… Kiruhu distanced himself from his two companions (or captors) so he could come to terms with his emotions on his own.

"You're stone-cold sometimes, you know that?" Vitani grumbled at Vincent as they continued following Kiruhu, who was now at a little distance because he preferred some privacy and Vitani had granted it. Vincent just mumbled something incoherent, avoiding Vitani's remark.

"And then again, sometimes you're as vulnerable as a cub…"

"And you never give up, lose faith or let off, do you?" Vincent responded a bit annoyed.

"Not yet. That might change; everyone changes… And sometimes, that happens really fast too. Like just now in the cave, where you were shivering and on the edge of crying in your sleep at one time, and attacking me franticly only moments later."

"Oh yeah… Sorry 'bout that…"

"What was that all about anyway?" Vitani wondered.

"A dream… A vision… A nightmare…"

"Ah… You wouldn't want to talk about it by any chance? I mean, we'll be on this journey of us for quite some time still, so a little talking won't hurt…"

Vincent wasn't sure. Of course he wanted to talk to Vitani, if he could he'd tell her anything there was to tell. But he knew he couldn't. He couldn't just share visions he himself hadn't come to terms with yet, like the second part of his dream. The recollection of the events to take place during the day of the Battle of Priderock had already come to visit him in his sleep on numerous occasions, however. But the encounter with the strange voice, or the surreal fight with Vitani were something new. And until he knew what that was all about, he'd keep it to himself. But he would still tell her the first part of his dream, the one he already knew by heart.

"I wouldn't quite know where to start... Well, maybe something that gets you thinking; those make great openers.  
Days of great change are, without exception, never acknowledged for what they are when they take place, and they always leave those who are to take part in them oblivious until after the events that were to shape history have already come to pass..."


	10. The Queens of Priderock

**The Queens of Priderock**

"I guess this calls for some sort of congratulation..."

"Please ma'am, don't bother. I'm merely following orders."

Shenya frowned, then looked at the Pridrock which was still only partially visible in the dark. She turned back to Shetani.

"Still... it is amazing, you getting us here whilst leaving '_them' _clueless. The whole clan in the shadow of Priderock without getting spotted, who would have ever dared hope for that..." Shenya contemplated as she looked at the clan, scattered and ducked into cover behind her, "And all that in under three sunrises time, amazing... that reminds me, we got to get everyone ready before the sun comes up."

"About that..." Shetani kindly interrupted.

"What?"

"I'd like to alter battle plans a little, if I may?"

"Isn't it a bit late for that now? Besides, why would you want to do that, you came up with our battle plan..." Shenya noted.

"Indeed I did, but returning here made me aware of a small flaw in our plans. You do of course remember the layout of the Rock?"

_Duh. One ramp to the central plaza, and on that a few ways up to the caves in front of the rock itself, which overshadowed the plaza. That meant no way in or out of the Priderock-complex, except for the ramp. _

"Yeah, why?"

"Well... Remember how I said there was only one way in or out?"

"Yeah, I remember… it's a deathtrap… that's why so few of our predecessors made it out, six years ago, at the Battle of Priderock (or should I say massacre of Priderock?). Get to the point already," Shenya grumbled a bit annoyed. Where was she getting at?

"You see, ma'am, that wasn't entirely true. There is one other way out, a small passage directly connected to the caves, very narrow, but it is a passage in its own right still. I had hardly taken notice when I first got to the Rock, all those months ago, but coming back here I suddenly remembered."

"Ow Spirits... couldn't you tell me sooner?"

Shetani just stared at the ground. Yes, she could have. But she had forgotten. She felt disgraced; such mistakes were intolerable for the leader of the most elite unit in the clan, and they endangered the whole operation. Shenya, however, wasn't the least bit angry, as she considered Shetani's performance up to now had been more than exemplary already. It would be rather unfair to demand utter perfection, Shetani too was only hyena after all.

"Well, seeing as you got us this far already it'd be quite unfair to blame you for this... but what do you suggest we do then, we cut the clan in half, or what?"

"No, out of the question!" she quickly replied with vigor, "That'd be a waste of lives. We need a force strong enough to block that small exit I talked about, but small enough to leave the main force's fighting power intact."

"Oh, piece of cake! You go," Shenya suggested.

"Me?"

"Duh, small in numbers but out in force; sounds like the perfect job for the Graymanes."

"I don't know..." Shetani hesitated, "What if we encounter something unexpected?"

"I'm sure you'll be fit to handle any given situation better than the rest of the clan combined. The most important skill to handle situations like this is knowing how to improvise; making the best and taking advantage of any given situation. I can't think of anyone to fit that profile better than you," Shenya reassured her, "Just go out there and do whatever it takes to win, we're not out on a social call."

"That's an order?"

"No, more like a guideline… Of course it's an order! Get you're squad ready and just head for that back-entrance. And do whatever it takes to win this," Shenya replied, "And hurry up, will ya? If you would have wanted to reach the rock simultaneous with the rest of the clan, you ought to have left minutes ago..."

"Ma'am!" Shetani saluted, "We'll infiltrate the caves at daybreak, you can count on us."

"What are you still talking to me for? Get at it already!"

Shetani took of, as ordered. Shenya tried following her with her eyes, but even with night-vision she hardly saw more than a creeping shadow. It was actually amazing how Shetani managed to always keep her cool and professionalism, as Shenya for example was already beginning to feel very twitchy. And given the present situation, you couldn't really deem that unusual, seeing as how she was only minutes away from storming the Priderock.  
She could hardly believe it herself, actually sitting in it's shadows, only at a five minute's walk from the pride. It sure gave a rush, and made her anxious too. Strange, come to think of it, feeling anxious to put your life on the line. But it just didn't feel like they were up to something dangerous, no, it had a rather exciting feel to it, she was actually longing for it.   
And why should they not be longing, weren't they out to finally undo all wrongs ever inflicted on them, should they not be anxious to see justice done? Or at least, that's what every one had come to believe over time, including Shenya. Whether there lay any truth in those beliefs... no-one ever bothered to think about that, really. But that's what made them beliefs, the fact no-one was actually willing to try and falsify them. They sounded to good for that, too convenient to be double-checked. A whole bunch of convenient truths.   
But that, of course, never crossed Shenya's mind, not now anyway. After giving the Priderock one last glance, she headed for the rest of the clan, for it was time to prepare the attack. Meanwhile, the Graymanes had already left for the back-entrance to Priderock; hideously efficient as ever: no-one recalled seeing or hearing them break away from the clan.

* * *

"You're nervous?" 

"Like, what do you expect? 'Course I'm nervous... Now hush, pay attention..." Kim whispered as she turned back to Shenya, who was giving one last explanation before the final push.

"... and that's all there is to it, all right? Just remember, whatever you do, do not break formation, ever. You hold the line, no matter what. They're bigger, they're stronger, they're meaner, they're more vicious. The only way we can get them is if we stick together, we stand side by side. And don't forget what we're here for, remember what we're up against: they're thieves, murderers, savages, heartless brutes. If we can't stop them here and now, no-one will, ever... Now… See you all the Rock."

As they were still in hiding and undetected, everyone just bowed their heads to salute, in stead of a decent, pompous and noisy greeting; some cheering and hailing perhaps. But none of that, just a silent nod of the head. After those final words, everyone hurried to their respective lines.   
Kim had been assigned to the left flank, along with about sixteen others. The one in charge of the squad was Kali. For the better: she was still, all in all, one of the better leaders available in the clan, a confident leader and able warrior. And she was good at shouting orders, that of course helped too. The central line was headed by Shenya herself, getting some backing from Banzaï (true, he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but at least he was reliable enough, not to mention life had forcefully bestowed a whole lot of experience upon him). Who led the right flank, Kim didn't really know nor did she care, as she kept a strict policy of minding her own business (unless instructed otherwise), which usually got her into enough trouble as it was. All she knew that the right flank was lead by a former Westclanner… probably Umwa, or at least someone within her family; they were pretty high-ranking. Unlike Kim. Not like that mattered; lions hardly ever take note of hierarchy within their enemies clan: they just try taking down as many as possible.

In under a minute, everyone had formed ranks, now they just had to wait for Shenya to give the order. She waited, looking in the opposite direction of the Rock: she was awaiting the sun to rise, so they'd have it behind them as they fought. Every little bit of advantage helped.  
After about one minute, the sun appeared; huge, strangely reddish as if it were foreshadowing the bloodshed which would follow in its wake. But Shenya waited still, she'd only attack once the sun had become more blinding. It must've felt like an endless wait, even though it probably only compromised a few measly minutes. Waiting always seems to take longer, I guess.  
Once the sun was at about two fifths of its regular size, Shenya finally signaled the clan in a silent motion, and they got on the move… well, at least those that were about to engage in combat. For a minute there, actually standing in the front line (literally, the line up-front), Kim wished she had been assigned to guard duty, staying behind to watch over the younglings until the fighting was over. Alas, she would have the 'privilege' of facing the enemy up close, of having to 'go over the top'.  
The clan ventured forward, locked in silence, tightly maintaining formation. They quickly crossed the hill they'd be hiding behind, out of the dense vegetation that surrounded them (it was indeed the perfect hiding spot). They actually formed quite a compact mass, in spite of their numbers. Shenya had guessed they outnumbered the enemy about four to one, and seeing as they were at an advantage beginning at three or more to one, chances were good. But to prevent anyone from feeling the sting of hubris, public estimates were two to one. That was enough to get even the most inert of hyenas edgy, so imagine what it could do to anyone who already was more than edgy enough for her own good, like Kim. That's '_like'_, totally not cool. But with clanmates everywhere next to her and behind her, there was only one way she could go no matter what her mood was: forward. _Being out of options really is the best substitute for being courageous..._ As they kept nearing the Rock, Kim could begin seeing shapes appearing in front of the Rock, and on it. So scout reports were accurate, all lions had indeed been present at the rock, none had ventured off. For some reason, that didn't really lift Kim's spirit: it just meant more lions to fight.

The first lions spotted them. For a moment, they just gazed in disbelief at the horde that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, or out of the rising sun maybe. But it didn't take the lions long to get over their initial shock, and the first rallying cries quickly reached the approaching clan. The lions outside of the den quickly made their way up the ramp, whilst others that had been relaxing on the plaza appeared both on the ramp and the Rock to get a look at the approaching onslaught.   
Though it wasn't any of her business, Kim didn't really see a male lion, only lionesses. Wasn't there supposed to be at least one lion present, one king? But it seemed their lack of a king didn't hinder the enemy one bit, as one particular lioness quickly mustered all others at the ramp, and not one second too soon, seeing as only less than two-hundred meters now separated the lions from their eternal enemies.  
And although vastly outnumbered and in a hopeless situation by all accounts, the dominant lioness still didn't hesitate one bit when she led her proud warriors down the ramp, surging forward in a seemingly desperate charge, crying various intimidating battleroars along the way. For a split second, Kim couldn't help but admire the lionesses, both the old ones that had been tempered by too many years, and the young ones of which some probably hadn't even seen their first hunt. She admired them because every last one of them stormed down the ramp without a second's doubt despite the tremendous odds they were facing. Now that their cover 'd been blown, the hyenas too broke out in howling and cackling in their bid to break the enemy's morale, albeit to little avail it seemed.   
Closing in on the approaching enemy, Kim spotted a young lioness speeding towards her. Kim braced for the inevitable impact, while still running forward. For a moment there, it crossed her mind she couldn't even remember why they were out here picking a fight in the first place, probably because it mattered little now, in the face of death; no time to stop and ask 'why'.

* * *

"I wasn't sleeping," Kausha yawned, "I was just resting my eyes a bit." 

Kani frowned with mild contempt, looking at her older companion lying casually stretched out on the cave floor. She'd about had it with Kausha's lax attitude, and she had already made that clear to her on numerous occasions. Of course, being younger, she had no real authority, but that didn't stop her from getting annoyed.

"No you weren't, you were sleeping! Again! That's all I ever see you do 'round here, sleep, doze of and goof around..."

Kausha nonchalantly rolled her eyes.

"Well pardon me, _your 'highness'_, but last time I recalled, I was still the senior lioness 'round here, so _I _do as _I_ please. Besides," she shrugged, "That's what babysitting 's all about: getting a decent nap whilst on duty, didn't anyone tell you by now?"

Kani took a quick glance at the cubs next to Kausha, all soundly asleep. Looking at those peaceful little bundles of joy, one could get the impression babysitting wasn't that tough a task. And indeed, it wasn't, at least not when the wee-ones were asleep. But what bothered Kani was that Kausha acted just as lazy when the cubs were awake, when they needed protection (mostly from their clumsy little selves). Such negligence was just unacceptable!

"And what if one of them woke up and took off? You're just irresponsible! I was always told wisdom comes with age, but quite frankly, ma'am, after meeting you I've really had to adjust my viewpoint on that one..." Kani noted, not quite as mean as she had intended it to be, as she had a habit of being polite, towards superiors that was.

"And you're way to smug, up-tight and full of yourself! Get a life..."

Kani sighed ostentatiously. That did it! She was out of here, that lioness was just hopeless! With a muted snarl, Kani turned her back on a yawning Kausha and headed for the main den. The main den being the cave directly in front of the Priderock. The babysitting used to take place there, but Nala had recently moved the kids further back, deeper into the caves, so the adults wouldn't have to mind their language too much when around the main den.  
For what Kani was concerned, that had been just another fine example of the ever deteriorating discipline within the pride that had probably set in around the time when the unification took place (though she wouldn't really know as she hadn't been a full-fledged lioness back then). If they couldn't even keep their manners 'round the young ones, what could they do? There's decadence for you, the Pridelanders turning into their own stereotypes. Being rather authoritarian in nature, Kani was of course a bit harsh for her pridemates (she herself being about the purest Pridelander the pride had to offer), not to mention she was an fervent supporter of the Outlander-lifestyle (harsh and uncompromising, but with a strong sense of community and pride). But despite her obvious bias, she probably had a point nonetheless; the attitudes within the pride were getting lax: guard duty, for one, had been cut back to a bare minimum, something the Pridelanders would soon come to regret.

As Kani entered the den, she noticed it was practically empty, as everyone awaited the sunrise for a quick nap outside.

"And this is what the Kings of Old have all bled and died for?" she mumbled to no-one in particular, "Everyone spending the better part of their lifetimes basking in the sun? It's about time Simba got back here and straightened things out again... and again... and again... Stupid Kausha... if I were queen, I'd give her a real good trashing in stead of just turning a blind eye..."

Not that Nala wasn't a strong enough queen, far from it: she knew life didn't come cheap, she had still lived to know greatness incarnated in Mufasa. And Nala had lived through the years of darkness, through the years of Terror; she knew the price you paid when just sitting by idly, letting evil (both within the pride and outside) run it's course unhindered. But Nala couldn't be everywhere at once, of course, she couldn't explain the finesses and lessons to be drawn from their great history to everyone at once. And this lead to ignorance in the likes of Kausha, who forgot what being a Pridelander was all about. But not Kani, she knew her heritage, she still realized what pure blood went through her veins. And she was proud of it, even despite her relatively young age, an age at which most other lions can't even tell the difference between an Outlander and a Pridelander, let alone tell laxness from discipline. But I'd take one big king to get that through the skulls of the likes of Kausha, maybe an even bigger king than they had now. Of course, Simba too was great, sure, near legendary even. Freeing the Priderock from the clutches of Terror, reuniting the prides... those are acts that echo through eternity. Come to think of it, Kani realized kings probably didn't got any greater than Simba... but what was it they needed then, to shake of the fat accumulating 'round everyone's neck?

_Maybe a decent drought?  
Too drastic...  
A new split with the outlanders?  
No, they are about the only good influence around...  
Maybe a real nasty king, a murderous brute...  
And that would help how?  
A two years forced vacation in the Outlands, that ought to keep everyone vigilant enough._

That reminded her: she should be applying for a stay with the outlanders as soon as possible, now that she was old enough. Kani had always wanted to know what life in the Outlands was like: it could only provide her with new, possibly important experiences which could make her an even better lioness in sevice of the pride. Best she addressed that issue first thing after she'd completed her babysitting duty (indeed, Kani regarded it as a duty, much to Kausha's amusement, as she regarded it as a favor, a cushy job), which was of course her number one priority for the time being. She wanted to head back to the cubs, not being able to bear the thought Kausha was the only one around to watch them, but suddenly heard some ruckus outside. Sounded a bit like roars... another lioness that had been dazing in the den briefly looked at Kani, but she gave her the 'I know nothing'-expression, so they both ventured outside to have a look. Everyone seemed to be panicking all of a sudden. Kani of course wasn't impressed (she suspected a lot of ado about nothing), but as she was always ready to do her part for the pride, even in the face of futility, she ran down towards the plaza either way so she could report to Nala, who by now seemed to be franticly issuing orders to everyone and anyone at once.

_That's odd... Can't imagine anything..._

Suddenly, her ears caught, out of all the noise and roaring 'round her, one word: hyenas.

_Now why didn't I think of that! Those glorified punching bags make great scarecrows to keep everyone vigilant, to shape up the likes of Kausha. If they're around, I doubt anyone would want to get caught having traded discipline for decadence. But those hyenas shouldn't overdo it, of course, they just have to keep everyone on their toes... but taking a stab in the dark here, I'd say they are grossly overdoing it. Not good. Not good at all..._

As she was just about to storm over the plaza to defend the ramp, Kani was caught in Nala's sight. She stared at the young lioness for 'bout one second, like she was trying to remember her name, but then, out of the blue, shouted at her.

"Kani, get the cubs out of here, now! Use the passage!"

for the blink of an eye, Kani just stood there, processing the command, but that still took too long judging by Nala's second shout.

"NOW!"

After that second directive, Kani rushed back up the path towards the Rock, and the caves, passing the (much slower) lioness that had been in the den with her, but Kani didn't acknowledge her; her mind was making overtime in trying to come up with the best way to efficiently execute her orders. She received orders on a daily basis, sure, and some even came with an elevated responsibility. But this was definitely out of her league... securing the cubs?

_Hey Kani, when you're out fetching a drink, would you mind securing the pride's future while you're at it? Thanks!_

Not that it was a bad thing, responsibility usually means acknowledgment, and getting this kind of acknowledgment at her age? '_Hierarchy, here I come_!' There were, however, a few gaps in that theory, number one being she probably got the job coincidentally, and second, she'd have to fulfill it or she'd spell the doom of an entire pride. And she'd have to do it with Kausha, as no one else was around by the time she reached the den. The prospect of having to bear responsibility for Kausha was in a way a perfect illustration of just how much responsibility is a two edged sword. But she'd try and pull through either way: she had always been convinced she embodied what being a Pridelander was all about, and now she was going to prove it, even if she had to do it all on her own. Well, that's how it worked in theory anyway...  
Kani rushed to the den, into the babysitting hall. Then, things suddenly went awkward.

First thing she saw was Kausha, still lying on the floor. But she wasn't where Kani had left her, and she wasn't sleeping either. Whether she was breathing, Kani couldn't really tell, but one thing she did see was that Kausha was bleeding, badly, and in a lot of places simultaneously... she kinda looked like she had been grabbed by eight pairs of yaws at a time, who then all took off in opposite directions, tearing Kausha to shreds. It wasn't too far from the truth.  
Second thing she saw were the cubs. They were about where Kani had left them, though they were awake by now and one was missing. And they looked less at ease, not to say they were terrified, and if they hadn't been cubs, they'd probably all have gone cuckoo by now (as cubs usually don't really know what they are seeing, though they can already give certain emotional appreciations). At least, Kani knew she would have certainly lost it as a cub, as the third thing she noticed allowed her to puzzle up what had happened earlier.  
The third thing she noticed was actually more of a composition. The smell took an important place in it, that's for sure, as it was something she had never really smelt before: a mixture of rotten carcass (which wasn't even half bad, taking into account that was the smell of dinner if need be), and a particularly awful stench she couldn't really point out.  
And eh, oh yeah, she also found herself surrounded by about eight (might have been more, might have been less) hyenas all of a sudden, but she only noticed those last. Seriously, I kid you not. The mind works in mysterious ways.  
Anyway, that information allowed her to sketch out the events that had presumably taken place prior to her storming in: Kausha had, as usual, fallen asleep again, and by the time the noise outside woke her up, she'd have probably been surrounded by the previously mentioned hyenas. Given the shocking nature of such event, any resistance she could have put up would have had to been minimal. That explained why no hyena's were out bleeding alongside her. Yet. And now, Kani had probably interrupted the murderers as they were about to put their teeth in the cubs (who had watched the preview of their fate played out on Kausha). And even if Kani had been exceptionally strong (which she was not), experienced (nope) and of course fast as lightning (not quite), she would never be able to stop them.

Having realized all that in a split-second, Kani felt a bit proud, of course, having such an organized an efficient mind, but that wouldn't help her now. The only fitting thing she could do was try and take as much of those smelly savages with her as possible, maybe giving one or two cubs the chance to get out. Sounded good enough, any self respecting Pridelander would sign for that kind heroism and self-sacrifice.  
The despicable scavengers, however, denied her such heroic fate as they decided to play foul. How fitting… The biggest hyena, probably the one in charge, pointed at her companion just before Kani tried to jump her. The second hyena was caring a cub between her murderous, still blood-sipped yaws. The cub had certainly seen better days, as it now hung dangling between cruelly efficient teeth, crying franticly, with only the sick whims of a murderer separating it from a certain death. Red drool dripped from the hyena's mouth all over the highly unfortunate and painfully innocent little cub.

Kani now found herself out of options, really out of options: she had nowhere to turn, no acceptable option whatsoever, as she was faced with an impossible choice: either she'd pounce the enemy anyway, effectively killing the cub, but maybe saving a few others in the confusion. Or she'd remain inert, after which the cubs' fate would depend on a group of killers that had not shown any hesitation to kill a lone, helpless, sleeping foe. Should she sacrifice the one cub for the possible benefit of a few others, if any? Tasted a lot like moral monstrosity, a choice you can never make, not in life nor in death, not while you've got any speck of decency left in you. And the fact of her opponents presenting such dilemma to her actually went a far way in depicting to what low they had descended to.

Thus, Kani did nothing, which clearly appeased her opponents, as all they grinned viciously (but they didn't utter one sound, maintaining their discipline still). Eight pairs of yellowish fangs now glanced at Kani, but she denied them the pleasure of even hinting any form of panic, fear or despair. The last thing they'd ever get was her pride, not while any drop of Pridelander-blood was still left in her body.

* * *

Just another day, not peculiar nor exciting it seemed. Watching the sunrise for a while, then probably a quick nap, and another, and another, … Then, maybe checking up on the cubs again, somewhere past midday, as the heat began to dim down a bit. Then probably sleeping 'till nightfall again. Nala wasn't really sure what she'd be doing after that. No hunting, that's for sure, they didn't need any new food for at least another two days. Probably just chatting up a bit, that was productive enough, certainly at her age. Not that she felt all that old, or looked it as a matter of fact, but still going out hunting at her age was considered a bit unusual.  
Then again, Nala wasn't your everyday lioness; being the queen and mother to the future queen was an achievement in it's own right, but she managed to combine it with an ever vibrant, active and even slightly unruly lifestyle, making her contrast pretty obviously to her predecessor Sarabi, who had always retained a life in the shadows of both her husband and her son. But Nala wasn't really the 'silent workhorse'-type, she preferred her opinion being heard (and enforced if need be) and her freedom retained, an attitude which had of course radiated onto her daughter Kiara (and with what magnificent results indeed!).  
But her bold and adventurous nature prevented her in no way from enjoying a life of ease (in relative terms, of course, a predators life is never really easy), a life in perfect comfort and balance; what else could she have ever wished for? A caring (not to mention ravishingly handsome, even as he got older) husband, a bright, cute and loving daughter engaged to one fine son in law, plentiful friends and spare time, bountiful supply of food…  
At least, that's what Nala ceaselessly told herself. That's what she told herself in spite of how she really felt. But life wasn't perfect, it never is, to no-one, and certainly not to Nala. There was one thing missing, one thing so essential its lacking cast a grim shadow over her entire life. She had never had a son, she had never been able to give Simba a true, male heir. That could, of course, not be blamed on Nala, as no-one seemed to be able to present Simba with a male heir, leading to the persistent rumor Simba had one way or another evoked the Kings of Old's wrath (though it could also imply the Kings preferred Kovu to follow in Simba's footsteps, which Simba perceived to be the case).  
But it wasn't just her being unable to give birth to a son. It was her inability to give birth to any cub ever since she'd been expecting Kiara; she had seemingly lost her ability to have children. The difficult aftermath of Kiara's birth had undoubtedly played a part in that, but Nala didn't knew that, and thus blamed herself in ignorance. And living through that, let alone blaming it on yourself, is a fate that no-one should ever have to endure. But life isn't fair, now is it? So Nala did have to endure it, and she did so with astonishing dignity, which was only fitting to a queen of her standing. Because if her years as the life-partner of Priderock's ruler had thought her one thing, it was that queens do not weep, nor do they ever bow the knee to whatever fate is beset upon them, a matter that stretched beyond pride.  
But not even the strongest queen does not know moments of weakness, short flashes of sincerity, for being queen did not nullify she was, in the end, just any other lioness, life-partner to her king, daughter to her mother, mother to her own daughter. It's hard to understand the events that were to follow without realizing that, as it is with all things in life. 

Nala was just about to settle down for a prorogued nap on the edge of the plaza below the Rock, probably 'till way past noon, maybe moving to a cooler location like the den halfway if need be, as a panicking roar suddenly echoed down the plaza, freezing everyone in it's wake.  
Nala immediately jumped to her paws, trying to localize the origin of the roar, when the pride was again startled by a second, third and fourth warning coming from a bunch of lionesses who had been chilling out on the Rock. It didn't take a genius to find out something was going awkward, though she still wondered what it might be as she rushed towards he ramp connecting the plaza to the rest of the Pridelands.  
Maybe Simba had returned from his social call already? Not likely: he normally wouldn't come back for another sunrise or two, and she also doubted the likelihood of her pridemates roaring in panic as he returned. Before she had the chance to guess some more as to the origin of the arising panic, however, the three lionesses who had been loafing just outside Priderock climbed over the ramp.

"Hyenas!" two of them shouted, whilst the third one was still gasping for air, apparently a bit shocked.  
'_Hyenas?!'_ Nala asked herself, as it had been a long time since she ever heard anyone mention them outside of the usual bedtime story of the Battle of Priderock. As she clearly was still lacking in information, and the lionesses who sounded the alarm in credibility, Nala rushed towards the ramp herself to take look, followed by the larger part of the pride present at the plaza. Even before she had the chance to confirm the rapport, the pride had already broke out in exceptionally noisy panic, everyone shouting back and forth in increasing volume without actually knowing what was going on. Nala peeked over the ramp. First thing she saw was a blood-red sunrise. But as she looked closer, she indeed noticed an approaching horde. Quite shocking actually, seeing your eternal enemy appearing out of nowhere, literally at your doorstep. Nala checked again, still hoping she was only seeing a mirage. Alas, the approaching onslaught was as real as it gets. Having recognized the threat (as the hyenas obviously hadn't come over for a polite chat about the latest fun-facts concerning scavenger-lifestyle), the first thing Nala had to do was set priorities.

_Where did they came from? No priority.  
Why were they there? As of present irrelevant.  
Why didn't the lionesses notice sooner? Too late for that now.  
_

Only thing that mattered now was: how many, what are they up to, how to stop them.  
Nala estimated there were certainly no less than fifty, probably even sixty or more adversaries, advancing in tight formation.

_And we add up to… twenty-five max, cubs included… twenty lionesses at best… tight call, very tight call._

It was obvious the hyenas were heading for Priderock, and they weren't out sightseeing. Were they intent on conquering Priderock? Or were they after the lions themselves?

_Irrelevant. We're not letting 'em have Pridrock either way. No scavenger sets foot in here while I still draw breath, not on the ground our forefathers fought and died for. Not again._

But how to stop them? The lions were obviously outnumbered, and Nala had no idea whatsoever concerning the enemy's capabilities. But seeing as they had snuck up to Priderock undetected, she feared the worst. Plus, the enemy appeared oddly disciplined. A numerous enemy was already problematic – but a numerous, stealthy and disciplined foe?

_This is going to hurt… they caught us by surprise… best we can hope for is returning the favor by trying a surprise breakout. But we can't let them surround us, or their numbers will start paying off. We have to prevent them from pouring onto the plaza._

"Everyone, get here now! Hurry, rally to me!" Nala cried to the lionesses who were still dazed, just sitting on the Rock or the plaza, "Get up here, and do exactly as you're told! Don't think, run!"

Suddenly, she spotted a lone lioness descending from the den. In the blink of an eye, she identified her.

_Kani, young, proud, obedient, reliable. Babysitting duty 'till nightfall… Babysitting duty!_

Nala suddenly remembered the cubs. If the hyenas reached the plaza, the cubs would be defenseless! But she couldn't just divert half of her force to the den, she had too few lionesses at her disposal to do that… and the enemy was to close to get everyone a the den in time…

_But we can't just hope for the frontline to hold… damn, why did those mongrels have to sneak up on us… well, it sure seems to have worked for them. Or wait, the back-passage! We could get the cubs out via the back-passage! Kani couldn't possibly pull that all on her own though… but there's always a second baby-sit; she probably stayed with the cubs while Kani came to check out the noise. Well, I sure hope Kani proves to be the promising lioness I've taken her for… Damn, this is all so improvisatory… but it's our only shot at securing the cubs…_

"Kani, get the cubs out of here, now! Use the passage!"

The young lioness stopped and stayed motionless for a moment.

_Damn, girl, hurry up already! This ain't no time for fancy explanations._

"NOW!"

Finally, Kani took off, now swift and determined. But Nala didn't have time to see her disappear into the den, as the enemy was already at the figurative arm's length. Luckily, all lionesses had already assembled behind Nala. Most of 'em looked confused, stunned or not yet awake even.   
Well, as Nala didn't have time for a fancy speech, she'd just have to hope they'd be able to charge the enemy before all those emotions turned to fear.

_Time for the Prindelanders to show what we're made of! Damn, this is starting to look bleak… I just hope… _

Nala's own thoughts, however, was interrupted by the sound of her own voice shouting the final order, and the rush of her body leaping forward. She just hoped everyone else would follow.

"Charge! Don't let them reach the rock, drive 'em back!"

And much to her own satisfaction, or whatever was left of it after adrenaline had turned her into a frenzied, three-hundred pound fighting machine, she could hear enthusiast, enraged, deafening and overly encouraging battleroars originating from her pridemates as they all stormed down the ramp, onto the approaching mass of opponents.

* * *

It was immediately crystal-clear the lioness had singled her out from the start, so as they raced towards each other, Kim mentally braced for impact. She had however, better braced physically, as the sudden leap of the lioness still caught her by surprise, in spite of any training or common sense.  
She felt the enemy's paws hit her hard as they threw her back onto the clanmate behind her. Kim hit the ground with a hard thump, being stunned from the ensuing blow of her head onto the ground. Unable to move for a split second, all she could do was stare at the lioness who was already standing over her, paw pressed down on Kim's chest so she couldn't breathe, intent at finishing the job.  
Fearing it be the last thing she'd ever see as she was still unable to move, Kim took a last good look at the enemy's face. The lioness actually looked rather young and pretty (for a lioness), being unscratched, pretty sleek and with a darker fur, not to mention a certain latent… innocence? But more important than her innocent look was the fact she acted innocent too, as in stead of going for Kim's throat like any slightly experienced lion would do, she hesitated, like a youngling out on her first hunt, a mistake you usually pay for dearly when dealing with an eternal enemy. But she did, she hesitated, unable to make the kill, just staring back at Kim who felt both too scarred and too astonished to react. The young lioness, however, was suddenly swept aside as the massive yaws of Kali bit her in the shoulder whilst stomping her back by sheer impulse. As she had been standing atop Kim with one paw, the lioness immediately lost balance and tripped over onto the ground. Finding herself thrown back into battle again all of a sudden, Kim jumped up again, just in time to see how Kali readied herself to gut the young lioness. The lioness put up a last effort, violently kicking Kali in the chest with her back-paws (maybe breaking, or at least bruising one of Kali's ribs), to no avail: Kali relentlessly gnawed at the lioness' belly. 

_This is probably like, the stupidest thing I've ever done, if not the last thing… Kim, you stupid, stupid girl!_

But as only inches separated Kali's teeth from the lioness, Kim suddenly pounced at Kali, pushing her back and making her miss the young lioness by an arm's length. The lioness briefly stared at Kim with a mixture of fear, relief and confusion, and of course gratitude. But then, she suddenly tried saying something, or shouting something in a rather desperate manner. Of course, Kim couldn't hear her over all the background-noises that came with a full scale battle, but as the look in the lioness' eyes more or less spoke for itself (and it said 'behind you!'), Kim tried looking behind her. She was greeted by two massive claws, violently hammering down on her face, smashing her to the ground again. But before she even got a chance to hit the ground, another volley of blows came along, the first blow pretty much tearing off her ear, the second seemingly missing her, going through under her chin. She felt the paw passing by her throat, but luckily, the mauling didn't reach far enough to hit (and break) Kim's vulnerable neck, which meant she wasn't dead yet.  
But closing her eyes as she hit the ground right next to the young lioness she was now facing again, and opening her eyes again when she had come to a stop, now looking at the lioness whose life she had effectively saved for the time being, it became clear that war does never reward kindness. The young lioness had impressive splats of blood all over her, still fresh and fluent. But it wasn't the lioness' blood, however.  
Trying to look down at her own chest, Kim noticed she too was soiled by fresh blood, and she was fast to notice a small, red puddle was forming where her head lay down. A cold shiver sled down Kim's spine as the puddle kept getting bigger, while the young lioness still looked at her unlikely savior with a mixture of fear, compassion and confusion.

* * *

Pretty much at random, acting mostly on instincts, Nala picked her first target, a small male in front of her. Common sense dictated she should identify the leader of the enemy clan and take her out first, but seeing as her pride had been caught totally off-guard, they had no time for such fancy-crap. Besides, in the chaos which would soon ensue, and the ever increasing noise-levels accompanying it, shouting any order was pretty much a waste of time. They'd have to rely on a pre-coordinated battle plan. A plan which they lacked, so it just came down to try knocking the enemies out, taking them down and holding them back altogether. Starting with the little mud in front of her.  
A quick bash to the yaw sent him falling sideward, and a second smash on the chest made sure he'd have to do with a few less ribs. But before Nala got any decent chance at gnawing the enemy's spine, the female behind her first target counterattacked, effectively using her larger weight to put Nala out of balance.  
It was only now Nala noticed why the hyena's had actually chosen to attack in a two-line formation: a first one was to take the initial beating, leaving it to the second one to counterattack, in hopes of giving the first one a better chance of surviving the initial charge.   
The hyenas weren't only sneaky, smelly and noisy, but also seemingly clever. Of course, such little tricks didn't put an experienced combatant like Nala off, who managed to block all bites intended at her by three hyena's which were by now attacking her, punching one of her opponents square in the face (braking one of the hyena's fangs) and grabbing another by the neck as she leapt sideways to escape from the persistent attacks. As she jumped sideways, one hyena still firmly locked between her yaws, another lioness jumped in to handle the attackers left behind by Nala, who could then focus on her target. Feeling it's end was near, the hyena Nala still had between her teeth put up an incredible fight, not cutting back on desperate cackles and whoops, not to mention her persistently kicking in all directions at once in the hopes of escaping Nala's iron grip. But after Nala pushed her opponent down on the ground with her paws, the hyena's fate was sealed, as Nala now needed only to tighten her bite and violently jerk her head sideways. In a single shiver going down her whole body, the hyena almost instantly stopped moving, now dangling limply between Nala's teeth. 

Although Nala fared pretty well, thanks to experience gathered the previous time hyenas had been omnipresent near the rock, the overall situation didn't look good for her pride: the hyenas' dedicated formation-fighting had buffered the first lion charge and had prevented them from withdrawing afterwards, allowing bitter close-combat to take it's course which was not at all to the hyenas' liking, as they preferred to gnaw-run-gnaw-run, nor did it benefit the lions as they had no room to charge and profit from their massive weight.  
But a more serious problem came to the attention of Nala right after her first kill: the hyena flanking-formations were beginning to box the lions in, not to mention their right flank was getting dangerously close to the ramp. Realizing they would not be able to hold out that much longer when surrounded, Nala put all efforts on trying to buy Kani more time to evacuate the cubs. To that end, she made her way to the enemy's right flank, whilst shouting directives on the way.

"Watch the flanks, they're boxing us in! And keep 'em from reaching the plaza!"

Of course, most of what she said went lost in the pandemonium all around her, so she herself was about the only reinforcement to combat the enemy's right flank. Nala was quick to single out the leader of that particular flank (though probably not the hyena matriarch), as that tall hyena actually seemed to be doing a good job at leading her spot-faced company. They were about to break through to the plaza, having taken out about three lionesses already. But they weren't going anywhere with Nala around; she threw herself in the middle of the enemy formation, hammering down on the leader who had her back turned to Nala (as she had been ready to run up the ramp to the plaza). The unfortunate female's back couldn't possibly stand such onslaught, and she collapsed as Nala's battering paws shifted fractions of her spinal column out of place.  
The other hyena's who had been about to storm the plaza now turned around of course, enraged by the slaughter of their squad-leader. Finding herself surrounded from all possible angles, Nala was unable to counter the barrage of bites which ensued, and not before long she was covered in bite-wounds, although she still managed to deflect the lethal ones with great skill.  
Although she'd had loved to stay around, she noticed her services were needed elsewhere again, more notably the at the center of the battle, where the lion-defense had entirely collapsed: a determined, long-maned, even imposing hyena female was leading her force forward with the skill of an experienced tactician, followed in her wake by a peculiarly mutilated male (who seemed vaguely familiar despite missing about half his face).  
With the courage brought on by despair, Nala managed to create an opening by grabbing an unsuspecting enemy by the throat as he briefly glanced at what was happening in the center. Just before reaching apparent enemy leader, however, already looking her straight in the eyes (as Nala's actions didn't go unnoticed), a shrill scream arising far above her cut her attack short.

* * *

Shenya spotted the enemy just as she carelessly tossed aside the slack body of yet another slain foe: an impressive, determined, not exceptionally big but certainly very dangerous lioness with a undeniable regal air, even in the midst of battle. Shenya was unable to guess her age, as she combined the agility of a lioness in her prime with the skill of a lioness near retirement. An exceptional foe altogether, that's why Shenya immediately signaled a few remaining members of her company to cover her, as she was certainly not up to the task of dealing with this foe alone.  
Then suddenly, before Shenya had the chance to confront the lioness with the now grim gaze, a familiar cry echoed over the battlefield, originating from a destination unknown, seemingly from the sky (which was, by all accounts, impossible). Was it… Shetani?   
The fighting almost instantly paused, as friend and foe alike gazed up to asses the possible additional threat to have arisen. Everyone stared at a small crowd that had gathered at the very top of the Rock, above the plaza, perfectly visible from the battlefield. 

Atop the Rock sat Shetani, along with three of her henchmen and one crippled, wounded and battered lioness of whom the only part not to have been broken seemed to be her pride, as she kept sitting up firm and proud, even though sitting upright in her condition seemed a torment in its own right. More important, however, were Shetani and the hyena sitting next to her. Shetani spoke up again to the seemingly distressed crowd below her.

"Enough! This battle is over; lions, accept your defeat…" she yelled with soar though content voice, after which the hyena next to her stepped up, still holding a franticly crying lion cub between her teeth, letting it dangle over the abyss in front of her, "… or face the consequences!"

Something snapped; in a split second, the relentless fighting machine Nala had been only moments before broke down into a million pieces, leaving only a fragile, scared and helpless lioness.  
That at least was how Nala felt the moment she saw the poor little cub dangling overhead, with only a hyena's fangs keeping it from tumbling down in a seemingly endless depth, towards a certain death. This of course seems strange, as by any account, being confronted with foul play to that extent in the middle of a battle would normally just enrage the defenders some more. But not Nala, not any mother worthy of that name. Not a queen whose only dream to visit in her sleep is the vision of a son she never had, being lifted up towards the sun for all animals to walk the planes to behold, only to see him falling down in a never ending fall time and time again, after which Nala would each and every time wake up in agony, mourning the son she never had. She could not just ignore such prophecy, nor could she put aside her deepest and darkest emotions which had by now washed her combativeness away like a flood.   
In a matter of seconds, Nala, who had only moments ago been a cold-blooded killing machine, broke out in tears and desperate crying, rushing forward shoving aside friend and foe alike.

"No! Please don't! Don't hurt her! I'm begging you!" she ceaselessly cried, desperate, hopeless, broken. Whilst Shenya had previously stared at her in contempt, awe and fear at her enemy, now she just couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Shenya stared up, much as everyone else was doing, at Shetani. She stared up at the helpless cub, still in between the Graymane's bloody yaws.

_So this is the sight of victory?_

Everyone had become silent, until suddenly, the cub on the Rock burst out in tears again, leading to another stream of pleas from the now obviously broken Nala. The cub's actual mother was nowhere to be heard, probably one of the countless casutlties the battle had claimed.  
Staring up, Shenya felt her stomach turning. Cubs had never crossed her mind… and seeing their fate foreshadowed, she couldn't help but considerer it awfully wrong.

Upon Nala's new pleas, a single hyena suddenly broke out into laughter, whilst another one started shouting encouragements towards Shetani telling her to... '_drop_ the cub'?!  
To Shenya's shock, it wasn't long before the entire clan joined in cheers, seemingly celebrating their victory at the expense of one unsuspecting little cub, whilst the hyena's around her started hailing both Shenya and victory with appalling satisfaction. The surviving lions started in shock. And so did Shenya. But it wasn't just the cub, it were her clanmates: trusted friends, bright younglings and even caring mothers, all of them cheering at the sight of one defenseless, innocent, harmless young lion being subjected to such a grim fate. She looked at the cub again, still dangling above the abyss.

_They're thieves, murderers, savages, heartless brutes…_

Remembering her own words, she looked at the still cheering clan, cheering at the impending doom of a harmless little being guilty of nothing but being born.

…_savages, heartless brutes. _

"No! stop this! For Spirits' sake, Shetani, put it down!" Shenya suddenly found herself shouting. But her plea was lost in the ever swelling laughing, cheering, shouting and hailing. It took her another attempt to draw attention. As one, the whole clan turned to her in disbelief and ignorance, the by now ecstatic Banzaï most of all. 'What had gotten into her all of a sudden?' they collectively seemed to ask themselves, 'Why doesn't she shout 'Hail to victory!' for all to hear?'

"Put it down, now!"

More stares of disbelief, most of all from Shetani, who eventually, but reluctantly, ordered her subordinate with the cub to back away from the edge of the Rock a bit. The clan kept staring, now confused. No cheers nor hails were to be heard. But the silence wasn't absolute, though: in the wake of the awkward atmosphere following her command, Shenya began hearing some noise to her left. In the aftermath of the fight, a small circle had formed there, consisting of silently whispering hyenas and one, badly hurt lioness (though she still sat upright, staring into the circle as well). Shenya couldn't really see what was going on in the circle, so she moved closer to take a peek, and so did most others, even the now slightly calmed down Nala.

Within the circle lay one hyena, seemingly just one of the many corpses now scattered at the base of Priderock, and one lioness. The hyena, however, was still breathing, albeit not regular nor easy. At first, Shenya thought that to be because of the young lioness, whose paws were firmly pressed to the hyena's neck. But just before she was about to order the lioness to back of immediately, she noticed a gulp of blood welling up through the lioness' paws. Then, she realized what the lioness was doing: she was trying to ease the hyena's bleeding, as its artery seemed to have been slashed. In spite of the ever increasing mumbling rising up from the crowd around her, the young lioness just kept staring forward, a single tear regularly dripping down onto the blood stained ground, desperately trying to postpone the inevitable fate awaiting the wounded hyena. As Shenya moved closer, she suddenly recognized the casualty: Kim, the messenger.  
She seemed to be trying to say something, but even as Shenya mover her ear right next to Kim, she couldn't understand her. Did she want them to help her, to prolong her life by mere minutes at best? Or to end her suffering?

Unable to further look at but one of the countless tragedy's to have taken place that dawn, Shenya did all she could; she put her paw on the lioness', gently pushing hers aside, allowing Kim's blood to flow freely, letting the mangled hyena pass into eternal slumber, just one of the many lives to have been lost that day.  
The lioness resisted a bit at first, but after one or two comforting words from Shenya, she gave in, and collapsed in tears. But lion nor hyena stepped up to provide any comfort, everyone just stared, locked in a dreadful, tormenting silence. For a moment, Shenya looked at the young lioness who, it seemed, had been desperately attempting to save Kim's life for reasons unclear to her.

…_murderers…_

She looked at the Rock, at the by now famous lion cub that had ended the battle in the hyenas' favour. The cub was still under a Graymane's control, seemingly only just saved from a certain and undeserved demise.

…_savages, heartless brutes._

She looked around her, around the battlefield at Priderock's base, now covered in lion and hyena bodies alike, in death side by side. She didn't have the hearth to count them.

_What have I done?_


	11. Breaking the law

**Breaking the law**

_I bet he'll try to cross us over again, I'm sure of it… Once you turn into a traitor, there's no way back. Bah… I can't believe Vitani let him off just like that, and that she's following him again too! She's putting herself (not to mention me as well) in harm's way trusting him like that._

"How much longer?" Vitani yawned, slacking behind Kiruhu fatigued.

"Almost there, probably less than an hour, then we'll reach the crossing," the cheetah reassured. Vincent was less than convinced, which he immediately made clear:

"You're sure the 'crossing' isn't just one of your obscure metaphors for getting us killed in one or another gruesome manner?" he sneered.

"Come on Vincent, give him a break already. He got us out past the mountains, didn't he?"

"Yeah, and he almost killed us halfway through…"

Kiruhu tried to ignore Vincent's never ceasing nasty remarks to the best of his abilities, or at least refrain from responding to them: Vincent had a point, after all. Kiruhu was, all in all, very lucky to still be alive after what he had done; he knew that by all accounts, he should have already been dead; no use complaining there. So the party just journeyed on under the setting sun, bickering every now and then over whether forgivingness and atonement were the path to follow, never reaching a conclusion. At a given point they neared a large, run-down baobab, hardly noticing it. Nothing peculiar, although Vitani did at one time spot from the corner of her eyes a green hornbill flying by. She didn't pay any real attention to it.

"Can you hear the river?"

"Nope…"

"No? Oh… Just thought I heard something…"

"Well I didn't…"

"And where are you going?"

All three predators suddenly startled at the sound of the unknown voice which seemed to be coming out of nowhere. Vitani cautiously looked around, until she spotted the baobab.

"No way… Not out here…" she sighed, looking at the tree.

"What's happening?" Vincent wondered, a bit nervous. But Vitani ignored him and casually headed towards the tree. Her companions followed, cautious, but curious at the same time.

"Rafiki? You pothead baboon, is that you?"

Suddenly, an upside-down face appeared out of the leafs, much to Vincent and Kiruhu's surprise; they sprung back in shock. The ape – or whatever it was that had appeared – broke out in laughter.

"Correction – pothead mandrill! Haha! But, the real question is: Whooo... are you?" the ape replied.

"Uh, that one never gets old, does it? Besides, you know who I am," Vitani sighed, "What are you doing out here?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"Just a suggestion, but try to answer her questions in stead of repeating them," Vincent grumbled a bit annoyed.

"Ah, and I smell you've brought some friends with you, young Vitani…" the mandrill giggled.

"Who's the monkey? You know that guy?" Vincent asked Vitani, "Just a question, but does he get hit in the face a lot? He sure sounds like it…"

"Ssh! I'll do the talking," Vitani hushed the hyena.

"Yes, you have a lot of talking to do!"

"Hmmm…" Vitani wondered looking behind her, at Kiruhu and Vincent, "Yeah… I guess this looks kind of peculiar…"

The mandrill, however, burst out in laughter again before Vitani could continue.

" Ha ha, 'looks peculiar'! That's one way of putting it – but I'd go easy on the looking!" he exclaimed as he fluently swung out of the tree, landing just in front of Vitani. He then looked straight at Vitani, who then saw something was out of place: the mandrill's eyes seemed covered in a transparent, white fog.

"What the… You okay?"

"Oh, I'm okay. At least I'm not seeingly blind," the mandrill added a bit mysterious, "And I've got a spare pair of eyes with me anyway!"

"He's not just as blind as a bat, but totally bonkers too…" Vincent whispered. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the mandrill struck out with a large decorated stick he'd been carrying with him. The point of the stick halted only inches away from Vincent's nose.

"But my hearing's still ok!" the mandrill grinned, after which he suddenly thrust his stick forward and hit the hyena on the nose, "Ha ha!"

"Aw, my nose!" Vincent groaned, "You little piece of…"

"Hey, cool it," Vitani suggested as she held back Vincent, "And you, Rafiki, display some sanity! Hitting a hyena in the face won't do your life expectancy any good."

"Aha! You did notice!"

"What?"

"The race of your smelly companion. You have a strange taste in friends!"

"And you have a strange taste in herbs, giggling old fool. What are you doing out here anyway, Simba is worried sick 'bout you not coming to our den. And considering your eyes are all messed up, I'd say he's right to worry."

"Enough, talk to the hand!" Rafiki suddenly exclaimed, sticking out his hand holding the stick, "My face is tired of listening and I'm tired of talking."

"Ain't that supposed to be the other way 'round?" Vincent suggested, earning him another punch of Rafiki's stick. The hyena tried snapping at the mandrill, but Rafiki swiftly swung back into the tree, laughing out loud all the way through.

"That was… unusual…" Kiruhu noted.

"Man, my head… Who does he think he is?"

"Yes, I should probably apologize for that…" replied a green hornbill that suddenly appeared out of the tree. Vitani recognized him as the bird she'd seen earlier.

"Huh, Zazu?" Vitani wondered a bit too preemptive. Then she realized how stupid that question was: Zazu was both blue and deceased.

"Yes and no, with a strong emphasis on the no," the bird noted with a whim of sarcasm, "Zazu is my uncle. Or was. The name's Tiko."

"Oh. Nice meeting you, Tiko. I'm Vitani… Can't say I ever heard of you though... So eh… why did you suddenly take over from the monkey?"

"Rafiki needed some time to contemplate. Thus, he applied some mild pressure to get me to come down to carry on the conversation, lending him some time of he needs to think. Also, I am to turn our little talk into a subtle inquiry... Though he mentioned I should keep the inquiry part to myself. But secrecy is no way to make an acquaintance, wouldn't you agree, madam?"

"Yeah, sure…," Vitani shrugged, "What are you guys doing out here anyway?"

"Me, or him?" Tiko asked, pointing up at the tree.

"I meant why are you out here, I mean, the royal shaman and Zazu's nephew, together on the wrong side of the river, whilst one of you appears to be blind… there's got to be some interesting story behind that, no?"

"Look who's talking... I'm not the one who should be explaining here," Tiko noted, "Though that doesn't mean you don't have a point... but it's kind of a long story."

"Amaze us…" Vincent yawned, whilst sitting down "My paws are too bruised to keep on walking anyway, and my head too dented. Entertain us!"

"Well, if you insist… Maybe we ought to exchange stories, how 'bout that? I'll start. Mind you, this (what lead me to being here now) all began 'bout a year and a half before now, and I''l start there, seeing as you applied for the long version.  
Back then, my uncle was starting to feel age weigh down on him, and he realized he hadn't trained anyone to become his successor."

"Jut for those of us not in on all this lion-mumbo-jumbo: what did this 'Zazu'-guy exactly do that needed succession?" Vincent interrupted.

"He alone compromised Simba's entire bureaucracy…" Vitani replied teasingly, pulling Tiko's leg a bit.

"Hmmm, not quite. My uncle was the King's (past and present kings) majordomo, and legal advisor. And as I said, he needed a successor. These kind of professions are usually largely hereditary, pretty much like royalty, probably because it guarantees a lifetime of not-getting-eaten, something one would like to preserve for his offspring. But there was one minor problem: Zazu had not established a family; he was too much of a workaholic. And most of his other relatives were either not bright or not interested enough for the task at hand, so the choice fell on me."

"Talking 'bout blowing your own trumpet... But eh, that relates to you being here and now in what manner…?" Vitani wondered.

"I'm getting there, ma'am. So it turned out I was the only feasible choice to be educated into the new royal legal advisor. Only problem was… our views on life conflicted a little bit, making Zazu rather reluctant at taking me under his wings…"

"Whadaya mean?"

"Taking under his wings? Well, that was pretty much of a pun, albeit I do try to avoid those as they are often very...

"No, I didn't mean that. I'm not retarded, I can get a pun, you know... I meant the views on life part," Vitani interrupted, feeling a bit insulted.

"Ah yes, apologies... Eh... I'll put it this way; Zazu was more of a traditionalist and an idealist. A bit old fashioned really. For example, he put great emphasis on protocol, whereas I do not: I, for one, even discarded my official title and replaced it with something more practical and transparent (being _royal legal advisor_). So you see, I'm more pragmatic, much to Zazu's horror.  
But what put my uncle really off the was that I'm, to quote him, too much of a 'relativist and sophist who wouldn't know good from bad if it bit you in the behind, ate you, regurgitated you and bit you again' …"

"Ahhh… Right…" Vitani mumbled.

"… So he insisted that if I wanted to be instructed in the ways of law, I should also polish up my ethics and morals as well, under his guidance. Unfortunately, after he passed on his legal-knowledge, Zazu didn't make much progress in the ethics area, so he had to transfer me to our herb-sniffing friend over here just before he passed away. Apparently, the mandrill's got some interesting stuff to teach about morals and ethics. I didn't notice much of that, though, as the first thing Rafiki did when I reported to him was drag me all the way down here because some herbs apparently only grow on _this_ side of the river.  
And when he then suddenly got that peculiar eye-affliction, he ordered me to stay here and guard him while he meditated on the meaning of his sudden blindness. Apparently, he thinks it's some kind of message from the Kings.  
And so I'm stuck here, as he forbids me to go looking for help. My educations hasn't advanced since…"

"Awkward…"

"Indeed. But now, It's your turn too amaze me. Speak up!" the hornbill suggested.

"Bah... Not much to say, really..."

"Really now? Hmmm... Call me prejudiced, but a hyena and a lion-of-the-pride strolling by on the wrong side of the river, headed by a cheetah ranks comparatively high on the unusual scale, not to mention it would probably upset a lot of you kin."

"That's one way of putting it," Vinani mumbled, "But I'd rather not elaborate on that…"

"Why?"

"Look, I appreciate your… 'concern', but to tell you the truth, you seeing us is already enough to get me into trouble as it is, and that's even without you hearing the full story…"

"Ah , I get where your going at, miss. You did something outside of the King's knowledge, and now you're concerned I might rat out on you if you disclose any information, no?"

"Many questions," Kiruhu suddenly noted.

"Ah?" Tiko wondered, faking surprise.

"If she says yes, she'll admit going in against the king. If she says no, she'll have nothing to hide and be obligate to talk. It turns out bad for her either way,"

"Good point. Thanks, Kiruhu," Vitani smiled.

"My pleasure, ma'am."

"Haha, our Fast-runner is a Fast-thinker as well," Rafiki suddenly shouted, balancing above everyone's heads on a tree branch with only one hand, "But what if I said I won't let the rat out?"

"What?" Vincent frowned, "This guy's totally cuckoo…"

"Hmmm, I don't know… You sure you won't tell Simba?" Vitani wondered, actually getting what Rafiki meant, unlike Vincent.

"Is the King better of not knowing?" Tiko suggested, to which Vitani recklessly replied, without giving it much thought, affirmative. Vincent just stared at the ground, hoping that when the whole story came out, they wouldn't be able to deduct whatever he thought Shenya was up to: that would have definitely been something the King might have been better of knowing, and if the hornbill discovered it and decided to take off and warn his king, that could endanger Vincent's clan, something he wanted to avoid. But intervening now, cutting short the conversation, could only arouse suspicion, so he just kept quiet.

"Well, if both you and the King are indeed better off with him not-knowing whatever it is you are reluctant to share with me, why would I possibly want to tell the king? He is better of not knowing, after all… Ignorance is bliss. So don't worry, we'll prove discrete enough," a self-certain Tiko reassured Vitani.

"Hmmm... I can imagine Zazu would indeed find that attitude of yours appalling..." Vitani grinned, "But me, on the other hand, I like it. All right, I'll try starting at the start as well. I guess it all started about three days ago, as I tried taking a nap in the morning sun…"

* * *

"... So Kovu sent me to hyena territory to try and make sure things didn't get out of hand, and seeing as how me and Vincent had already met prior to the incident..."

"Ah, so you are Vincent, hyena!" Rafiki suddenly interrupted, to everyone's surprise: they had all gotten the impression he had been sleeping, or at least dazing off. But it appeared he was very attentive.

"Yeah. And you are...?"

"I am none of your concern."

_You, on the other hand, are of my concern, hyena._

"Well nice to meet you too, jerk..." Vincent snapped.

"You know him?" Vitani asked the mandrill, signing at the hyena.

"I know a lot, young Vitani. Now, continue!" Rafiki commanded, avoiding her question.

"Right... So I head over to their land, taking the route past the Elephant Graveyard. Then, on the Wasteland plateau, I got ambushed by a bunch off his clanmates. Lucky for me, they weren't particularly aggressive, and after a bit of shouting, insulting and bluffing, I got them to get me Vincent. After they sent for a messenger, I just waited a bit, trying to ignore all those angry stares around me. After a while, I noticed some guy coming over and having a chat with the squad-leader, after which I was told to stay put. So I did, and her squad backed off out off sight. The guy to have come over and talk to the squad-leader disappeared again after that. A few moments later, Vincent appeared. We had a little talk, a bit of shouting... the usual conversation at a negotiation, I guess..."

"Just curious, but what exactly was the deal you wanted to reach?" Tiko suddenly interrupted, "I mean, this is the kind of agreement for which a bit of legal advice would be utmost appropriate, after all..."

"Well, I bet this will come like quite a shock," Vitani replied grinningly, "But Kovu can actually manage without a legal advisor, makes you wonder... Anyway, the proposed deal was we'd give the hyenas the right to hunt in the Outlands and the part of the Pridelands north of Kovu's den, though only during the day. In exchange, we wanted a nonaggression-pact and the guarantee they would not hunt in our lands during the night, and stay away from Simba's Pridelands altogether."

"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me," Tiko frowned, "From the hyenas' point of view: they don't have to actively do anything in return, nor cough up any land. Say, sir, what was there to negotiate?"

"If you put it that way..." Vincent mumbled, avoiding Tiko's question, "But you have to remember the context: they just killed two of our clanmates..."

"... who were breaking the law, by the way," Rafiki quickly noted.

"Were they?" Vincent wondered rhetorically, "For us hyenas, your lion-rules only include laws, but no rights. Correction, but no protection. I don't see why we should follow those rules."

"He's got you there, Rafiki," Tiko agreed, to everyone's surprise, and Rafiki's annoyance.

"Legal advisors should steer clear from philosophical questions and focus on the law _as is_," Rafiki smiled at Tiko, though his smile had lost much of its cordiality, "And you, hyena, should remember the laws are those of the Circle of Life, not those of lions alone, they are not yours to ignore."

"Then why don't you spend more time educating the Circle of Life to them as well; you can't live by rules you don't know. And last time I checked, we were the only ones to 'enjoy' your wisdom concerning the ways and the laws of the world..." Vitani countered in Vincent's defense.

"Talking about an aberration towards n_emo censetur lex ignorare,_" Tiko smilingly noted. In doing so, however, he only attracted everyone's ignorant stares. It did help quell the argument that was about to arise, though.

"Never mind... Vitani, you had just come to the part where you and mister Vincent were negotiating your proposal?" Tiko quickly suggested, drawing everyone's attention away from him again, as wondering stares made him quite nervous.

"Right, where was I... Oh yeah... as I was saying, there was some shouting hence and forth, but then we were suddenly interrupted by the hyena-squad that had been guarding me before Vincent had arrived. From what I could deduct from the squad leader's speech, Vincent was about to become the victim of a coup: they wanted to kill him, and blame it on me afterwards. So I didn't wait for us to get torn to shreds, but in stead grabbed Vincent and busted us out of their cordon."

"Because they'd have to kill you too if they wanted to put the blame on you?"

"Yeah, and because I wasn't about to stand by as a friend got eaten alive," Vitani added.

"Thanks," Vincent mumbled in appreciation, in rare sincerity.

"You're welcome. Anyway, as we tried staying ahead of the mob that now chased us, we kinda... took a wrong turn..."

"... And found ourselves tumbling down the White Pass cliff," Vincent completed.

"Right. But we pretty much survived the fall and found ourselves struggling with the wild waters soon thereafter. By the time we got out of the river, we were so beat we spent the rest of the night lying on the riverbank, unconscious. All in all, 't was a miracle we even made it out alive in the first place."

"The Kings must have taken special interest in you and your smelly friend to save both of you twice in a row," Rafiki frowned, "Peculiar..."

"Probably... Anyway, after we got up from the riverbank, at dawn, we met Kiruhu here," Vitani continued, pointing at the cheetah, "And he volunteered to lead us to a crossing not to far from here. He even took us through a shortcut over the White Passes, so we made it here in about two to three days, yet another stroke of fortune."

Kiruhu was both relieved and grateful Vitani managed to sum up their journey in about one sentence. After all, more details would just make things a more complicated, and no-one was really waiting for that to happen. But Rafiki, who had heard every word even though he didn't seem like it, quickly noticed a few gaps in Vitani's story.

"The Fast-runner-fast-thinker is noble indeed to just guide two of his competitors in the Circle of Life over the treacherous White Pass free of charge," the mandrill ironically noted, smiling still, looking at Kiruhu. The cheetah, however, didn't flinch, to both Vincent and Vitani's surprise, but was able to reply with such sincerity they too almost believed what he said.

"I have to admit that sounds strange indeed, and if you'd have told me three days ago that I was soon to lead a lion and a hyena over the White Passes, I would have considered you delusional. But seeing Vincent and Vitani helping each other must have snapped something within me; my whole life had been one of constant and relentless struggle between my kin, hyenas and lions, a degradation of life to kill or be killed, an abomination. As I noticed Vincent and Vitani on the riverbank that day, however, and became witness to their mutual understanding, compassion and even kind tenderness they displayed in spite of their different lineages, I was struck by a vision of cooperation and harmony, a new future I could only dream of becoming part of some day, finally escaping from the clutches of a life of senseless bloodshed and slaughter on daily basis. And faced with such ideals embodied, what else could I do but offer my services in the hopes of becoming part of what, for a moment, seemed like an unlikely miracle? And after miss Vitani even went out off her way to save me when I got into trouble at the White Pass, I became even more confident her way, one of compassion, was the only way to follow should we ever want to reach a better tomorrow. To that end, I have put my life in her paws and at her disposal…"

"Your nobleness knows no boundaries, Fast-thinker. But now that you mention it, I don't recall Vitani testifying she saved you on that White Pass…" Rafiki pointed out, expecting a response from Vitani. The lioness, however, hesitated, fearing her little white-lie to cover up Kiruhu's wrongdoing was about to backfire. Luckily, though, Vincent quickly improvised a fitting response to shut Rafiki up (which wasn't that easy since Vincent too was not at all accustomed to Vitani and Kiruhu's alternative version of history).

"Yeah, Vitani, cut back on the modesty, will ya? A little bit of praise won't kill ya. You really shouldn't be shy to admit you saved someone's life."

"Well, you know how it is, no-one likes to brag…" Vitani replied, gratefully blinking at Vincent. Rafiki didn't seem pleased at all at their explanation, but decided not to question them on it any further, allowing Tiko to move on with the conversation.

"And now you're here on your way to the river-crossing, right. And I guess the plan is that after that, everyone will return to his or hers respective home…"

"… or family," Vincent quickly added, considering the possibility his home had been relocated, as he still suspected Shenya had tried to get him killed because she had been up to something, namely expanding the clan's territory way into the Pridelands.

"… Or family, yes. But won't that get you in quite some trouble, mister Vincent? I can imagine the plotters that tried to kill you are still at large…"

"Well, as I told Vitani before, I have little choice in the matter; the clan is the only place I can turn, as I doubt her relatives will prove as understanding as she is. Besides, the plotters undoubtedly only represent an obscure minority, one with which can be... dealt with by the vast part of the clan still loyal to me," Vincent explained, and by the cold way he said it, Tiko guessed "dealing" with the plotters would involve little to no talking.

"And you Vitani, aren't you afraid that if this gets out to Simba, you conversing and dealing with his enemies and such…"

"I'm pretty sure he won't take notice of it, ever. And if he does… well, then you'd better sleep with one eye open…" Vitani smiled slyly.

"Good point," Tiko grinned a bit nervously, quickly getting the hint.

"You don't happen to be heading straight for young Kovu, do you, Vitani?" Rafiki suddenly asked.

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Because this field trip to the other side of the river is over!" the mandrill suddenly exclaimed, swinging out of the tree again, "Fast-runner, where are you? Come closer!"

Kiruhu was quick to comply, hoping to avoid stick-punches like the ones that had befallen on Vincent. When the cheetah was right next to the mandrill, Rafiki suddenly hopped on Kiruhu's back (after first locating him with his hands; Rafiki had somehow what gone blind, after all).

"You'll be my ride for the time being, just so I don't get lost, seeing as I lack sight. I'll be carried by the Fast-runner, and meanwhile I'll talk to the Fast-thinker. How 'bout it?"

Kiruhu quickly complied; despite his inherent weirdness, the ape actually sounded like he had something to say, and a few new insights never hurt anyone. But serving as transportation for another mammal still felt a bit awkward either way... It was the ape's limited weight that eventually pulled Kiruhu over the line. Vitani, Vincent and Tiko looked with a mixture of amazement and a sense of confusion, but chose not to think about it too much.

"So… I guess you'll be coming with us? Or with me anyway…" Vitani presumed. Rafiki just nodded.

"Fine by me…"

"What, we're leaving already? Damn you, unpredictable old fool… Well, in that case, allow me, sir hyena," Tiko quickly but politely addressed Vincent as he landed on his shoulder, without waiting for his permission.

"Don't you have wings to fly with?" Vincent grumbled, unsuccessfully trying to look back at Tiko.

"Yes, but talking and flying don't combine that well, I find it tiring. Besides, it'll only be 'till you set out for your own kin. After that, I'll continue following Rafiki and the lioness, and you'll be rid of me. And we could always have a chat on the way; being stuck for days on end with that herb-munching old ape has given rise to a strong urge to wage normal conversations."

"Well, if you put it that way… Just don't get used to it too much, I ain't no beast of burden, not even for small, lightweight birds…"

"I wouldn't exactly say 'lightweight'... he is pretty f..."

"Enough with this small-talk, hit the road again already!" Rafiki suddenly shouted, much to the disappointment of Vitani, Kiruhu and Vincent, who had all been secretly hoping for a nap, continuing the journey at the next daybreak. But it seemed as if Rafiki planned on an evening march, and his contagiously good mood proved surprisingly effective at getting everyone on the move again, even if they were tired. And so, an utmost peculiar group of five slowly got moving, heading for the crossing, as dusk set in.

* * *

"I knew it, I knew it! They made it here already," Seko whispered to his four companions who lay ducked behind him.

"But that's just impossible: they can't have possibly made it here in what, two, three days? I don't like this… they must have the Spirits on their side…"

"Superstition doesn't bring food on the table," Seko responded a bit irritated, concealing his own fears, "Besides, you also said it would have been impossible for them to get out of the water alive, but they did. And now they made it here in under three days time… I'm pretty sure their odd retinue has got something to do with it…"

Odd was one way of putting it: a lion and a hyena accompanied by a cheetah, a mandrill and a hornbill… Seko and his crew didn't really know what to make of it. Vincent and the lioness sure seemed good at making friends. Not that it would help them a lot: the cheetah nor the mandrill added to their combat ability, and the hornbill could only serve as a scout at best (which it didn't, as it was sitting atop Vincent's shoulder). Nevertheless, Seko wasn't really looking forward to facing and killing them (who would?), as his mind was pretty much preoccupied with Shenya (of whom he knew was carrying his first child) and the endeavor she had embarked upon, being the occupation (or liberation, that'd be for history to decide) of Priderock. Though she had only briefly mentioned her plans to him once, he was pretty sure Shenya would try to attack the Pride, and conquer Priderock while at it. The thought of it terrified him, her having to face all those lions. He knew he should have been with her, but in stead, he was chasing after Vincent, trying to mop up for Kali's mistake (or incompetence). He had abandoned the one hyena he loved to try and save his own skin, and he wasn't proud of it: he felt disgusted at his own actions.  
But the disgust for Vincent was still greater, especially now that he had degraded himself to the lowest of all depths: befriending a lioness. No wonder the bastard had been so reluctant to retaliate against the lions; he couldn't just attack his dear friends, now could he? Ha! The monsters that had decimated the clan all those years ago, and butchered Keavy and Nya; to think his 'leader' had actually come to befriend them was simply sickening. And it justified what Seko was doing: sometimes you have to inflict one wrong to undo another, fight fire with fire. Obliterate Vincent for the good of the clan. Though it was pretty annoying he had to do it himself… but Kali's screw-up hadn't really given him much choice in the matter.  
Seko had of course hoped the river would have taken care of Vincent, but that hope proved unfounded: whilst traveling alongside the river, Seko and his four accomplices had at one time (must have already been about two or three days ago) been able to spot a lion and a hyena as they had made their way from the opposite shore-bank. It had only been a glimpse, mere seconds, before they had left his line of sight, but it had irrefutably proven Seko's assumptions had been right: Vincent was still alive. And now, days later, Seko's hated enemy had once again appeared on the other side of the river as he was about to cross a shallow part of it towards Seko's position, where Seko had been waiting for some time now: he knew it was the only safe crossing in the immediate surroundings, so after he had seen Vincent on the other side, he had known his foe would have no choice but make it to this particular crossing.

"All right… we can't mess this one up again, got it?" Seko whispered at his henchmen, who nodded affirmatively, "We'll have to ambush them as they come out of the river. We should try surrounding them… You guys take the left, you go right. I'll stay in the center. If they attack us, I'll go after Vincent; you guys take down the lioness. Don't worry about the other rabble 'till she is down."

Seko's pack nodded again, confident at their own abilities; they had trained five years at taking down a lioness, with or without an ambush. The strange companions Vincent and his lioness had brought along of course complicated things, but they shouldn't pose too many problems. The mandrill could even prove to be a nice snack. After one last word of reassurance, the hyenas scattered, creeping under the cover of the pretty dense foliage and through long, golden grass. As he snuck into position for the ambush, Seko continuously kept his eyes on the party he had targeted. His targets, however, seemed utmost oblivious to his presence: the mandrill kept lecturing the cheetah on which he rode, the hornbill, who sat on Vincent's shoulder, seemed to be debating Vincent, and the lioness yawningly kept the lead, casually strolling through the water, seeming perfectly at ease… and why shouldn't she be: she was by now in her own lands after all; the southern tip of the Outlands. Taking down that lioness was going to be the most difficult part, she looked both nimble and in good shape… Seko imagined already smelling her, already smelling lioness. That was, of course, his imagination: the lioness was still too far away. But it still smelt as if the lioness was right behind him…  
Seko waited. His targets kept coming closer and closer… now, the last one left the river… almost… almost…

* * *

"Now!"

At Seko's command, all five hyenas suddenly jumped forward, out of cover, immediately surrounding the surprised group which had been unaware of their presence. Tiko took to the skies instantly, so shocked he even soiled himself all over Vincent shoulder just before taking off. Vincent, however, didn't even notice, as he tried recovering from a near hearth-attack induced by the sudden ambush. After about one second, when he knew what was going on, Vincent immediately took post in front of Vitani, as did the Kiruhu. Rafiki hopped off the cheetah's back not too long afterwards, firmly grasping his staff, whispering at Kiruhu to ask him what was going on.

"Five hyenas. Ambush. Semicircle. No point running," Kiruhu quickly summarized.

"All right, Fast-thinker, I need you to point my staff precisely in the direction of the nearest hyena's nose. Don't ask, act!" Rafiki commanded hissing, "How far away?"

"What?"

"The nearest hyena! Be precise, measure by my staff."

"Eh… Six-seven times?" Kiruhu stuttered as he shakingly directed Rafiki's staff.

"Precise! Six or seven?"

"I don't know… Seven, no, six times!" Kiruhu gasped in panic as the enemy crept near. Meanwhile, Vincent moved even closer to Vitani, trying to shield her.

"I'm not letting them near you, Sunshine…" he whispered not at all convincing.

"Don't make promises you can't keep…" Vitani replied a wee bit desperate, looking at the hyena who seemed to be in charge as he came closer, snarling with his yellowish fangs clearly visible. Vincent immediately recognized him.

"Seko! You…"

"Shut it, traitor, you're going down, you and your lion-friends!"

"Oh, right, now I'm the traitor! Last time I recalled, I was the one being betrayed, not you, scum!" Vincent growled, by now filled with rage and hate towards Seko, and all of his treacherous friends for that matter. After nearly being killed twice because of it (once by Kali, once by Kiruhu), Vincent had come to consider treason the worst of all crimes, and traitors the lowest of all beings, both of which should be rooted out thoroughly. And he had felt the urge to deal with the traitor Seko accordingly.

'You betrayed your own clan for those filthy lions, and now you'll die with 'em,' Seko had wanted to shout back before attacking, but was interrupted rather brutally before he could do so. He imagined hearing the sound of rustling grass behind him, then a roar, and suddenly, before he could even consider turning around to check whether there was actually something or if he was just going paranoid, he was struck by two enormous paws, each pushing down on him with about two hundred pounds, not to mention the sheer impulse at which they hit. He immediately fell forward, on his face and chest, but was, unfortunately for him, not stunned: he could still feel a set of jaws clamping shut around his neck like a spiked vise, with teeth easily piercing through his skin. But because of the sheer force at which whatever-it-was had hit him, in stead of just being pushed to the ground, before Seko knew it, his assailant flew over him and landed on his or her back, whilst still holding Seko's neck. So when the attacker rolled forward, because of her impact speed, Seko found himself being slung through the air by his neck. When he again hit the ground with a loud thump, he was pretty amazed (though not at all conscious) his neck hadn't simply snapped.  
As soon as he realized he was still alive, he tried opening his eyes again, attempting to figure out what the hell had just happened. He smelt lioness all around him. He saw lioness all around him. Conclusion: lioness. A lioness had attacked him after she had ambushed him as he tried to ambush someone else... good show. Seko concluded that the lion pride had probably become aware of his presence in their territory, and had just caught up with him. If so, it would all be over: Seko and his companions were as good as dead, they just didn't know it yet. That was of course what a desperate Seko imagined, his sense of reality somehow what impaired by the fact his neck was still caught in between a lioness' jaws. But as his life flashed by before his eyes, he forgot one detail: he wasn't dead yet, and he didn't hear sounds of skirmish around him. Maybe that meant... just one lioness?

* * *

All four remaining attackers, as well as Vitani, Vincent and Kiruhu were of course nailed to the ground, shocked by the sudden and rather unexpected appearance of a skinny but hardy lioness, bearing recognizable Outlander characteristics. Everyone, except for Rafiki: being blind, he only heard the roar of a lioness; he wasn't aware it involved a newcomer. Presuming it was Vitani who had chosen to attack (thus commencing the battle which Rafiki had been expecting), Rafiki too tried to do his part, and instantly leaped forward, with nothing to guide him but Kiruhu's directions. They proved sufficient: with striking accuracy, the seemingly vulnerable old ape hammered down on the hyena in front of him. After four hard hitting blows, non of which as much as scratched his staff by the way, Rafiki struck down his opponent, who lay face down in the dust before she knew it.

Meanwhile, the bystanders didn't know what to be amazed at first or be shocked at most; the warrior monkey or the _deus-ex-machina_-lioness? Vitani chose to turn her attention to the lioness first, as her arrival had been more critical than Rafiki's acrobatics.  
The lioness had, because of the violent way in which she had pounced Seko and the ensuing rollover, come to a halt only inches away from Vitani, who immediately recognized the lioness.

"Enyi!"

Enyi tried to nod as to acknowledge Vitani to the best of her abilities, with Seko still squirming between her teeth (which made a regular greeting rather impossible), after which she swiftly got up and turned around, facing the three opponents still standing, who in turn backed-up a little. As Enyi turned around, Vitani suddenly realized why she didn't munch-down on the enemy still in between her yaws: looking around, she noticed no other lions had appeared; Vitani thus concluded Enyi had been out on her own. So it might prove more profitable not to engage in a direct fight, but in stead keep the enemy at bay some other way. Like using a hostage. While her other companions were still trying to figure out what was happening, Vitani quickly saw through Enyi's plan, and swiftly conformed her behavior to it.

"Ok, back off! Back off! You want your comrade here getting snapped like a twig? Come on, back off... that's it Now, move closer together, where I can see the lot of you!" she shouted at the remaining hyenas, guessing Enyi had planned on this from the moment she had jumped the enemy. One of the hyenas seemed a bit brighter than the others and quickly instructed her henchmen to comply, as putting up resistance now would prove utmost futile: with their leader taken hostage and one of their colleagues temporally knocked out by a freaked-out monkey, odds had clearly turned against them. Meanwhile, the hyena taken captive had again come to his senses and was trying to wrestle his way out of Enyi's grip whilst screaming and cackling franticly, but decided to keep still as soon as Enyi heightened the pressure on his throat.

"All right... now don't move a muscle or that guy gets it," Vitani commanded, after which she looked back at the rest of the party.

"Are you guys okay?"

"I'm a bit confused here... Who's the unlikely savior, and what's she doing here?" Kiruhu admitted.

"What happened? We got 'em already?" Rafiki shouted, still poised to strike out on the faintest sound around him.

"Eh... yes and no. We just got some company: Enyi appeared out of nowhere to help. By the way, nice work with that staff of yours..."

As to illustrate, Rafiki hit the KO-ed hyena in front of him again when she groaned a bit too loud for someone who is supposed to be KO.

"I take it she's a friend of yours?" Vincent asked, still a bit shaken, and not at all at ease with the arrival of an unknown lioness (fearing there'd be more of where she came from, not to mention a grumpy King or two).

"Yeah... I should probably introduce you two… Vincent: Enyi. Enyi: Vincent. Don't touch him, he's one of the good guys," Vitani warned Enyi. If it hadn't been for her mouth full of hyena, Enyi would have replied 'I figured as much'. Now she just grumbled.

"I hope we can... 'trust' her?" Vincent noted with a bit of concern, fearing Simba could suddenly and inexplicably leap out of the foliage anytime.

"Don't worry, she's 'in on it'," Vitani reassured, "It's a good thing having her around."

_Especially now that we've been nearly assassinated – again._

"You've got everything back under control, she's one of ours?" Tiko shouted down from safe altitude.

"Yeah, don't worry. You can come on down now."

The hornbill cautiously flew down, taking post upon Vincent shoulder again.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, but you must understand my posture leaves little room for bravery," Tiko apologized.

"Probably... But that's no excuse for craping..." Vincent grumbled, timely interrupted by Tiko .

"Thousand apologies! I will immediately set out to... clean up for my... lack of self-restraint."

"You do that... And now for that other piece of shite," Vincent suddenly snarled at Seko, who was still firmly held captive by Enyi.  
Seko, upon seeing Vincent, tried snarling back, but found that somehow what difficult in his current state. Vincent came closer, invoking another struggle from Seko's part. Enyi, however, did not loosen her grip one bit. As Vincent neared their commander, the remaining hyenas looked like they would attempt to intervene, but a violent roar from Vitani quickly changed their minds, and they backed of again, awkwardly awaiting further orders from what appeared to have become their captors. Meanwhile, Vincent had taken post in front of Enyi and Seko.

"I hope you don't mind, miss?" he asked. Enyi looked at Vitani, who had sat down next to her, for an answer, but she just gave her the 'whatever'-look, so Enyi didn't protest as Vincent bowed down to look at Seko.

"I bet you didn't see this coming, now did you, backstabbing rat?"

"Drop dead!" Seko hissed barely audible. To Enyi's shock, Vincent didn't verbally reply but in stead chose to hit his opponent in the face with his blunt claws, resulting in particularly raffled and nasty scratch marks. Seko hollered in pain, now able to squeeze enough air through his windpipe to be audible. Vincent's stunt was immediately greeted by growling from Enyi, who again looked at Vitani to instruct her on how to handle the unfolding argument. Vitani's response, however, surprised her.

"Hey, it's hyena business. And besides, after trying to kill me and Vincent twice, a wee bit of punishment won't hurt…"

_Just don't overdo it._

"You heard the lady, scumbag, time for you to meet a traitor's fate. But first, we're going to have a little chat…" Vincent smiled viciously at his victim, "Sunshine, I hope your friend here won't mind helping me out a bit, while you guys watch over the rest of them traitors?"

"Sure…just don't do anything stupid. Enyi, keep it clean, will ya?" Vitani accepted, not one bit concerned, though she should have been if only she had noticed Vincent's gradual change in mindset ever since they had gotten down the White Passes. Ever since his dream.

"All right. Miss Enyi, please take our friend Seko here to the riverbank, if you please?"

With a mixture of reluctance and indifference, Enyi complied with Vincent and Vitani's orders, and dragged Seko towards the riverbank only a couple of yards away, though she wasn't really sure why Vincent wanted her to take the other hyena there. Seko was of course freaking out by now, squirming and cackling along the way, but as his attempts just resulted in bruises and scratch marks, he quickly gave up his resistance once Enyi had come to a halt on the slightly sloped, stony riverbank.

"All right, I've got some questions I'd like to see answered. You're answering them," Vincent commenced.

"Starve and die!" Seko replied.

"Too soon, I haven't posed a question yet. First of all… you were the one who set me up, didn't you?"

"Ain't we quite the detective…"

"I'll take that as a yes. Why?"

"Screw you!"

"Wrong answer," Vincent sighed, "Enyi, you see that big, solid rock next to you? That's why I wanted you to come here. Hit him against it."

'What?!' Enyi communicated nonverbally, finding the order both awkward and repulsive. Meanwhile, Seko voiced his fear and anger in a much more audible fashion.

"What? You psycho! Let me go, I said let me go!"

"Do it!" Vincent commanded, now with a distinct authoritarian touch to his voice. Enyi never quite understood why she did, but for some reason she never really grasped, she complied, even though there was no reason except for Vincent's (non hierarchal) order why she should have. Hesitating, unaccustomed and a bit clumsy, she swung her head sideward, scraping Seko's head against the rock, who immediately cried out in pain. Not because of the physical pain, mind you, but because of the immense fear that action instilled: this wasn't going to be just another inquiry. All those present to hear the piercing scream turned pale behind their fur, and even Vincent seemed a bit startled.

"Are you insane? Stop this! Let me go!" Seko shouted desperately, having lost his defiance instantly as he had come to appreciate the graveness of his situation.

"Vincent, Enyi, what the hell are you doing?" Vitani shouted at them, not actually seeing what was happening because the riverbank was obscured from her sight. She couldn't go check, however, as she was still detaining three wake and one downed hyena. And for some reason, she didn't want to go check, she'd rather just stay inert and oblivious, and so did all of her companions, something they'd often wonder about later.

"It's ok, Sunshine, just a small misunderstanding here," Vincent shouted back at Vitani, regaining his nerve again, though he too sounded a bit shaken, "Now where was I… Your motives for trying to kill me. We'll eh… we'll leave that be for now… Let's in stead focus on who was in on it. You, and your four accomplices over there, obviously. And I also remember Kali, as well as her followers Kiuma and Umwa chasing me. That accounts for all seven thugs who chased me down the cliff. And their motives were obvious: they're all fervent Westclanners, and as such are loyal to Kali. But why did she want me dead?"

Fearing more ensuing mistreatment, Seko figured it'd best to strongly reaffirm Vincent's theory, and complete it as well. But doing so brought him back to an episode of his life he'd rather have forgotten altogether, of when Seko too had been a Westclanner. The Westclanner to betray his clan, and prove instrumental in the murder of his own matriarch, Kali's mother. But that had remained his best-kept secret up until today. What irony, Seko argued, that Kali tried to avenge herself on the son of one of her mother's killers, with the help of the one killer that was still alive… But that is a different Tale to be told.

"It was your dad… Your dad had her mom killed, remember? You'd get annoyed for a lot less than that… She wanted to take it out on you, 'cause you're so like your dad. That's all she told me, and all I needed to know."

"Aha… I knew it! I always figured she was a liability… I should have dealt with Kali way sooner… So you just used Kali's hate for me to get her to try and kill me as soon as an opportunity presented itself? And when you walked up to her and proposed your little scheme, she simply agreed, out of the blue? Sounds way too improvised. There had to be more to it," Vincent reasoned. The irony of it all was that there wasn't anything more to it: Seko's plan had been ad hoc and immediate, set up in a flash of ingenuity and on impulse, and executed likewise. But Vincent wouldn't have that, as it felt too unreal.

"Who else was in on it? Who else worked behind the scenes, like you did?"

"No-one, just me and Kali!"

"Stop lying, traitor! First you try and murder me, and no you're lying to me! Enyi, hit him again! Now!" Vincent snarled.

"No please! I'm telling you the tru…" Seko uttered desperately.

"Enyi, please continue."

This time, however, Enyi hesitated.

"What's the matter now? I take full responsibility for this. Now, I require you continue!"

Enyi still remained inert, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

"Hit the rock! You have no choice, hurt him!"

And once again, much to her own shock, Enyi's will was almost magically overpowered by simple commands. It didn't take more than three lines to turn make her do onto one hyena what she had refuted her former hunting partners from doing onto another (which had, by the way, started the whole mess). This time around, Enyi acted with more confidence than the other time, actually hitting Seko against the rock pretty hard: blood started dripping down the hyena's face as he kept screaming and wrestling, although his paws were quickly pressed to the ground by Enyi. Meanwhile, Vitani was still guarding the remaining hyenas. She didn't address Vincent, nor Enyi, as she had done the first time. Now, she just stared at Kiruhu and Tiko (who had left Vincent as soon as the 'chat' had started, feeling what had been about to happen). They all looked very uncomfortable with the given situation. Strangely enough though, no-one intervened. They didn't even talk to one another. They just stared at the ground and at each other, as the sound of a panicking Seko kept reaching their ears.

"For Spirits' sake, Seko, don't make me do this! Tell me the truth!" Vincent commanded with a mixture of sincerity and anger.

"Please, stop this," Seko sobbed, scared and desperate, "Let me go, I'm begging you!"

"Who betrayed me, Seko? Tell me!" Vincent growled, moving closer to Seko's ear, as to be able to whisper.

"You're not protecting anyone here… I know Shenya was in on it too…"

"No!" Seko suddenly shouted out loud.

"Come on, Seko, it's just too obvious! She wanted to get rid of me so she could fulfill her life-long dream of attacking the lions. That's why you were in on it too, weren't you? You just followed her orders!"

"No! Leave her out of this! She's got nothing to do with it. Please, leave her alone!"

"Go fool the other one. She was behind all this, wasn't she? She thought it all up."

"No! Please, don't hurt her!"

"She'll suffer a traitor's fate," Vincent noted distinctly cold.

"You monster!" Seko yelled, "Don't you hurt my Shenya! Don't you dare hurt me Shenya!"

This 'chat' went beyond his personal well-being now, Seko figured, it became a question of saving not himself but in stead his loved ones. The only thing he could try was tell the truth, even if that would turn out very harmful to himself.

"Please, Vincent, leave her out off it! She's got nothing to with it, I set you up. Me and Kali tried to kill you, and blame the lioness. But Shenya knew nothing of it! She's even out trying to avenge you as we speak, attacking the lions I blamed!"

"What?" Vincent gasped, though he had certainly expected Shenya would try something stupid as soon as he were gone.

"Shenya was really, really upset after we told her you had died. She was hysterical, and enraged! Furious, even to such an extent that, before I came looking for you to make sure you were dead, Shenya told me she'd attack the Priderock in three sunrises time, to avenge you!"

"Three sunrises? But that's…"

That was today, hours ago.

"Sprits give me strength… What have you done…" Vincent gasped, "But you're not telling me Shenya had nothing to do with this… No, she used me… She used me as an excuse to go to war! That's just sick… Clever, but still sick."

"But She's got nothing…"

"Shove it, traitor! Liar! Backstabbing murderer! Do you realize what you have done? Do you? You've lead our clan to the slaughter, cast them into a war! But don't you think you'll get off this easily…" Vincent shouted, but then he suddenly made an effort to sound reasonable, "Look; Seko, it doesn't have to be this way. I know you were just following orders from 'someone' else; you shouldn't heave to pay in 'their' stead. Just give me some names…"

"But I've told you all I know…"

"Damn it, you stupid idiot! You want to die? Well, do you? I'll only ask this one more time: was this all Shenya's doing?"

"No!"

"Fine!" Vincent shouted in frustration, "You're just asking for it! Enyi, finish him. Now!"

Fearing Enyi would indeed comply with Vincent's order, Seko tried appealing to Vincent's emotions one last time, as in an act of despair.

"No wait, please, don't! Vincent, I'm begging you, just let me see my Shenya one last time!"

"You'll meet in the Spirit-world soon enough," Vincent grumbled, though he wasn't really sure whether he meant that: Shenya was still his own sister, after all. He actually meant the remark to be more of a psychological abuse than an actual threat. But to Seko, Vincent's remark sounded dead-serious, a threat not to be misunderstood: Vincent was out to eradicate the only thing which still meant anything to Seko, namely Shenya. The only one alive whose well-being ranked above that of himself. And even if it were the last thing he'd ever do, he wasn't about to let Vincent get away with that. In a sudden rush of strengthening anger, he let loose an incredible cry and tried releasing himself from Enyi, whose bite force had somehow what decreased over time. To accommodate his escape, he successfully tried clawing Enyi in the face (almost dislodging his own paw in the process). The startled (and hurt because of the clawing) Enyi, who hadn't ever seen a hyena fight with that kind of vigor, threw her captive against the rock next to her in panic, releasing him in the process as she leaped back in shock. Seko got smashed against the rock even harder than the two previous times, but this time at least, he was out of the lioness' grasp. He got up to attack Vincent, who was still oblivious to what was happening. But Seko soon noticed his last encounter with the rock had seriously hurt him, critically incapacitating him: he almost fell over when he tried standing on one of his forelegs that had been rendered useless. That didn't stop him, however, from attacking the still flabbergasted Vincent, even though in Seko's current state, his resistance couldn't ever hope to be anything but symbolic.

"Don't you dare touch my Shenya!" he screamed as he hurled himself at the other hyena.

* * *

"Damn it!" Vitani cursed as she heard yet another scream arise from the direction of the riverbank, "That's it, I've had it!"

Without giving her companions or captives another look, she leapt in the direction of the riverbank, much to Kiruhu and Tiko's shock: with all lions out of sight, who was to restrain the remaining hyenas? The hyenas themselves seemed to think likewise, but Rafiki soon stripped them of their illusions.

"Going somewhere?" he grinned when he heard one of them moving. The hyenas only needed one look at their still knocked-out companion at Rafiki's feet to convince themselves they were indeed not going anywhere.

Meanwhile, Viatni sprinted towards Enyi and Vincent. She crossed the small ridge that had kept them out of sight. First thing she saw was Enyi, with a nasty scratch on her nose. She sat next to a big, solid rock. The rock had blood splatters all over it, and Vitani thought she could already guess whose it was. Then finally, a bit closer to the river, she saw the two hyenas. It was obvious they had been in a struggle, and it was just as obvious who won: the one with blood dripping from his fangs, who was still sitting upright.

"In the Kings' name…" Vitani gasped, "What the hell happened here?"

Enyi was the first one to respond. And for what seemed the first time in her entire life, she actually looked moved, even righteously angry, and slightly panicking.

"Vitani! I swear, I had nothing to do with this! It was him," she shouted, pointing at the blood-stained hyena who sat looking at them, seemingly pleased with himself, "He made me do this! I couldn't help it, I didn't want to! He made me, I don't know how, but he made me bang the other guy against that rock!"

_I've never seen her this upset ever… I've never seen her upset altogether._

"All right, calm down, Please, Enyi, calm down. It's okay," Vitani tried reassuring her friend, "Vincent? Is that you?"

The surviving hyena nodded, defiantly slow. He looked surprisingly calm, and strangely at balance.

"What in the Kings' name did you do here?"

"I questioned him…"

"What? Like this?" Vitani shouted angrily, pointing at the blood stained rock, "What the hell has gotten into you, are you out off you're mind?"

"No, I never saw things clearer…"

Whilst uttering a frustrated sigh, Vitani walked over to Vincent and Seko, who lay motionless below the other's paws. She first looked at the body, and winced at the sight of it . It's face was still locked in a painful grimace. She then looked at Vincent. He was still panting as a result of the previous fight, but looked surprisingly (to a rather scary extent) at ease.

"Please tell me you didn't…" Vitani glowered.

"Obviously I did, Sunshine."

"Vincent, in the Kings' name!"

"It was the only right thing to do, period."

Suddenly, Vitani struck out with her paw and hit Vincent in the face, albeit not very hard. Still, two thin red lines appeared right below his eye. Vincent looked shocked.

"What…"

"Stop! Can't you hear yourself talk?" Viatni shouted. Now, Vincent looked genuinely upset.

"You think I wanted this, do you?" he hissed, "I had no other choice. Who is it you think we're dealing with here? These are no saints, far from it. Why do you think they tried killing me? I'll tell you why, because I was the only one keeping them from storming Priderock."

Vitani gasped, shocked.

_What?_

"Yeah, you heard me. His accomplices wanted me gone so they'd have an excuse to attack the Priderock. And they did, this very morning. Can't you see, Sunshine, that means war! We're at war. This isn't about me, you or him anymore," Vincent proclaimed, signing at the deceased Seko, "This is about the lives of tens of others, about your pride and my clan now. And I'm not risking their existence to be threatened by the likes of him, _no matter what the cost!_"

* * *

"Finally, there you are. So?"

Tiko seemed to need a minute to catch his breath. It was pretty awkward really, the small bird sitting amidst all those predators, panting his lungs out. After some time, though, he managed to form a handful of words.

"He was right… they were at the Priderock…"

Both the lions and Rafiki paled, Vincent smiled bitterly, and Kiruhu… didn't really care. Tiko continued.

"There were hyenas. No lions. If there has been a fight… It's pretty obvious who won…"

"You saw no lions at all?" Vitani asked in disbelief.

"I couldn't see any. If there were any lions, they were probably kept out of sight, maybe in the caves…"

"Any casualties?" Vincent wondered.

"I didn't see any… but then again, it is doubtful they'd just leave them lying around. I fear the worst…"

"Hate to say I told you so," Vincent noted laconic.

"This is terrible…" Vitani sobbed.

"Why didn't I see beforehand…" Rafiki wondered, clearly placing the blame on himself, "Damn it! Why didn't the Kings warn me, why didn't I see?"

Tiko could only just withhold himself from replying 'You're blind, duh'.

"We have to do something…"

"I couldn't agree more!" Vincent suddenly exclaimed as he got up and started walking southeast without further explanation.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Vitani shouted, as she too got up.

"What does it look like? I'm getting my clan back before Shenya manages to make things even worse…"

"But… you can't just… wait! I'm coming with you," Vitani replied without giving it much thought. Vincent halted, and turned around.

"You can't, that's suicide. The Rock is ours now. Besides, you have other duties to attend to."

"Screw my duties!"

"No, you misunderstood. I can try to stop my clan from committing more stupidities, but that will only work if I've got someone with the remains of the lion-pride to do the same. I need you to talk to your pride in my stead, before this gets even further out of hand. Your pride needs you , Sunshine."

"The smelly hyena's right, young Vitani. We have to talk to young Kovu, and Simba; presuming he is still with your brother as you said," Rafiki confirmed.

"What, we're parting just like this? After all we've been through?"

"Events have caught up with us, I fear, we have little other choice now. The only thing we can do now is react, as this tragedy further unfolds…" Rafiki sighed.

"But we can't just send Vincent to Priderock all alone…"

"In that, young one, you are right. Tiko?"

"Present and accounted for…" the hornbill yawned.

"You're going with the hyena."

"What?"

"He'll need all the help he can get, if he is really to try and correct the situation."

"Forget it. I don't need someone spying on me," Vincent grumbled.

"He wont be spying. To the contrary. He'll be your new legal advisor, and work exclusively in your service."

"Jolly…" Tiko mumbled.

"Bah… All right then… but the moment I catch him spying…"

"Don't worry, I wont. I'll have enough fun advising a hyena… who knows, maybe I might even learn something…" Tiko replied. He didn't really sound that enthusiast. But on second thought, he figured that if the hyenas had indeed beaten the lions, it couldn't hurt to be around the new guys in charge. Lion or hyena, before the law, those differences are but formalities. The same was true for legal advisors.

_Maybe that's what Zazu meant when he said I was lacking in the field of morals…_


	12. Purge

**Purge**

Kovu reluctantly followed the lioness.

"This'd better be good…" he yawned to no-one in particular. He had about had it with all his meetings, trips, talks and summons. Why couldn't they just leave him in peace, even if it were for but one night or one day? But such luxury was obviously considered redundant by Kovu's friends, family, superiors and underlings, and thus Kovu was granted none. No rest, no peace, no privacy, no respite. Not even some much-needed time alone with Kiara, as he had just been experiencing when suddenly, surprise!, yet another subordinate carrying yet another bidding of un-underestimatable significance appeared. Hurrah. Makes you wonder what kind of hell it must be to become an actual king; that'd just mean more pushy subjects to clutter your daily routine. Or maybe not: kings can easily delegate daily nuisances to second bananas, a privilege Kovu had to manage without now that both Vitani and Enyi were gone for an indefinite time.

_It is good to be the king… yeah, it'd better be._

As he kept striding behind the lioness, deviating farther away from his den, Kovu couldn't help but yawn again, and again, and again. Reminded him how tiresome it can be to manage half a kingdom, especially with ample worries thrown in the mix to give it just that extra bit of pressure needed for de-facto insomnia. The lioness suddenly halted.

"Here it is, sir. I'll eh… I'll be going now. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, right?" the lioness mumbled.

"What?" Kovu yawned yet again.

"You know, them three monkeys… never mind… Good night, sir."

"Yeah, good night to you too…"

_Phew… Three monkeys? Is it just me getting to little sleep, or is everyone else going insane? And why on earth…_

"Sir…"

Kovu jumped back with a loud whoop, obviously startled. Shaken and shaking, he turned around to check where the sound had been coming from. To his right, under the cover of darkness and some tall grass, sat a lone lioness. She had a nasty scratch-mark on her nose.

"Oh hell, in the Kings' name! Enyi, please… don't… do… that! I'll die from a hearth attack before the next rainy season…" Kovu complained with heavy breath. What startled him even more was the faint smile Enyi mustered.

"It's nice seeing you too, sire."

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming," Kovu yawned, "Do I need some decent sleep, or have I just heard you attempting comedy? Nice seeing you too by the way. Why did you sneak up on me like that?"

"You should get some sleep either way. I had to sneak up on you because Simba is still around, so I'd be best if we stayed out of sight until we have had the chance to talk things through with you."

"Oh yeah, Simba… Wait, you said we?" Kovu asked. Enyi nodded.

"You mean…"

"Kovu!"

Instantly, Kovu's reddish, worn yet stress-driven eyes cleared up (to some extent). He'd been afraid he'd never hear that voice again, ever. He'd been losing sleep over it for days on end now. But there it was, suddenly resounding through the dark savanna-night. That's just something you can't make or dream up, let alone imagine, not even when stressed-out and deprived of sleep, as Kovu was.

"Sis!"

Kovu looked around. He only saw Enyi. But he was sure he had…

"Gotcha!"

Before Kovu's groggy mind could even begin comprehending what that shout meant, he had already been pushed oven and now lay on his back in a daze, numbly staring at Vitani's mischievous grin above him, as she held one paw on his chest. Her fur looked messy.

"Hi Vitani," Kovu mumbled, weak at first, but then strong and enthusiast, "Vitani!"

He reached out and firmly hugged her, dragging her down because of his sheer weight.

"Finally, you made it back! I was worried something might have happened, it's so good to see you again!"

"Wow, easy their, big guy," She grinned as she gently pushed him back, "It's only been three days… or four. No reason to get corny."

"So I'm corny, am I?" Kovu frowned, "Well, you know what, you're smelly!"

"There, that's the kind of line I'd expect from my baby-brother!"

"No, seriously, you smell funny…"

"Now don't push your luck…" Vitani chuckled, "Besides, what do you expect when opportunities for washing one's self are so few and far in between; 't was not like I was out on a vacation… and now that you mention it, you're not exactly looking charming either."

"Yeah? Well, I guess that's what happens when you go out of your mind with worry for days on end," Kovu grumbled, clearly sounding fatigued.

"Staying at home 's that bad, huh?" Vitani replied. After all she'd been through, she just couldn't help put some irony into that remark. Kovu, however, didn't notice as he was apparently very upset with his own problems.

"You couldn't even begin to imagine! You disappearing, those skulking scavengers, Simba, Kiara… Taka…" Kovu complained, shortly pausing just before uncomfortably saying 'Taka'.

"Ah… Taka… that bad…" Vitani sighed. The one thing she'd rather not have brought up.

"What do you mean, bad?" Kovu suddenly asked her. Because of the way he asked, unusually brutish and combative, she felt uneasy while answering.

"Well I-I… I didn't mean bad as in… I just meant it's… just kinda… heavy stuff, you know… Touchy stuff…"

"Tell me about it! Each time I bring it up I nearly get my head smashed in just for mentioning…"

"Each time you bring it up?" Vitani asked, sounding a bit shocked.

"Something wrong with that, is there?"

"N-No, of course not… I wouldn't mind… but others might…"

"Ah, 'the others'. Ha! I couldn't care less about what they think…" Kovu smiled defiantly.

"Hmmm, I clearly missed something whilst away all those days…" Vitani considered as she looked at Kovu with a mixture of amazement and discomfort. Her brother sounded different as he talked about Taka, something which he usually seldom did by the way, for apparent reasons. Not that Vitani had any problems with that; she'd be happy to confront Taka's legacy any day. Any day but today, however: other issues just seemed a lot more pressing at the time (how little did she know).

"Let's leave that rest for now: there's some real urgent stuff that has to be dealt with first..."

"You're right. We ought to celebrate on your return, in stead reminiscing the past!"

"Yeah… hmmm… about that… I'd skip the celebrating part if I were you; in case you didn't notice, I snuck in. I'd like to avoid celebrations for the time being…" Vitani mumbled a bit uneasy, "Before letting anyone know I'm back, we ought to have a talk first. Real urgent."

"That doesn't sound good…"

"Indeed. But maybe I ought to start by introducing some companions. All right guys, you can come on forth now."

From the bushes behind Vitani appeared Rafiki, still seated upon Kiruhu. From the looks of it, the cheetah was less than at ease with Kovu around, who was, in turn, not too enthusiast when he recognized Rafiki.

"Well that looks ridiculous…" Kovu mumbled, smiling faintly when he saw Rafiki seated upon Kiruhu.

"I suppose you've already met Rafiki. And that's Kiruhu. He's with me."

"Why don't you pick more lion-like friends, like a normal lioness should?"

"You ought to follow your sister's example, young Kovu, you might just learn something," Rafiki smiled, "That is, if your are capable of learning, which I am staring to doubt after my futile attempts bestowing you with most basic of royal knowledge."

"I'm ready to learn any day, but I just don't like being taught."

"Guys, please we don't have time for this. Try bugging each other again some other time, all right? Rafiki, you're gonna tell him, or should I?" Vitani asked.

"You do the honors, for I have only been part of your tale since sunset."

"Eh, no offense, but... if you're planning on some story, I'd better be real short or real exciting. If it is neither, I'm afraid I might just pass out on the spot," Kovu grumbled as he yawned again.

"Whatever, 't is not like I couldn't use some sleep myself," Vitani sighed, "I'll try to be brief. You remember those hyenas we met some years back, at the border?"

"Yeah... they're why I sent you to negotiate; I can remember you getting along pretty well with one of 'em."

"Yeah... turned out he is the hyena-headman."

"Goody. So you met him again?" Kovu inquired a bit impatient.

"Indeed I did. But that's where I ran out of luck: it turned out my presence triggered a coup. I didn't really get all the details, but according to Vincent (that's that hyena we met all those years ago), his sister employed some vengeful faction within their clan to try and kill us and portray me as the assassin. The goal of all that being sovereignty over their clan, and a (false) pretext to go to war against us lions..."

"Wait, you mean...?"

"... yah, sorry," Vitani mumbled, "I'm afraid our negotiation-attempt had a rather reverse effect... Anyhow, as me and Vincent tried fleeing, we made a wrong turn and ended up in the White-Pass river. After we got out, we spent the last few days trying to get back to our respective homes. We picked up Rafiki, Kiruhu and Tiko (he's Zazu's nephew, I doubt you know him) along the way. But before we could make it back home, the hyenas who had tried to kill us turned up again. Luckily, Enyi here turned up just in time to save our hides. But when Enyi and Vincent..."

Vitani cast an angry glare at Enyi, who looked away in shame.

"... 'interrogated' one of the hyenas, the poor bastard revealed his clan had already attacked Priderock that very morning, in retaliation for my supposed assassination of their headman (whilst in reality, it was I who saved him). Unfortunately, Enyi and Vincent killed the captive before he could add anything else," Vitani smiled viciously, "Isn't that right, Enyi?"

"Did you have to bring this up again?" Enyi sighed, annoyed yet remorseful. Kovu, however, couldn't care less about those details, as he had stopped listening after Vitani mentioned '... attacked Priderock...'.

"Wow, hold it there... They did what to the Priderock?"

"They attacked it at dawn," Vitani repeated.

"I hope you're kidding, even though I'm not laughing..." Kovu replied, now genuinely upset.

"Yeah, that was exactly my reaction at first too. But we sent Tiko to go and check on Priderock... and he came back telling us the Priderock just got new tenants ..." Vitani mumbled.

"What? But... but that's impossible! The hyenas couldn't possibly... and even if they would have, why hasn't anyone from Priderock made it back here?" Kovu gasped, now again so very awake, not to mention panicking. The look on Enyi and Vitani's faces answered all of his questions, however, and none of the answers was in any way satisfactory.

"The Kings help us..." Kovu sighed as he sat down with a profound moan, "This is a disaster!"

"Pretty much..."

"And no-one but us knows is aware of what has happened yet?" Kovu quickly inquired with a worrisome frown.

"No-one but Vincent; he's already returned to his clan to try and minimize damage; Tiko's with him."

"Hurrah," Kovu muttered, his voice drenched in irony, "How does that help us?"

"At least we know he's not looking to pick another fight; at least he wants a peaceful solution..."

"... and now we have someone we can talk to on the other side," Rafiki added.

"I'd rather have someone to talk to on our own side! Do you have any idea how Simba will react we tell him hyenas attacked his ancestral home, his wife and pretty much all of his pride, all because we tried negotiating with the enemy? Taka's offspring dealing with the hyenas, after which they overtake Priderock! I doubt he'll appreciate the irony in that... Oh man... this is bad..."

"Seeing as how we're at war, I think that's the least of our concerns. The hyenas, not to mention the survival of our pride which is at stake, are of much greater importance now than your standing with Simba, sir. Now, I know Vitani said that this Vincent-guy is out to reclaim his clan, and she believes him to be rather pacifistic, so chances are he won't carry on the attack. But from what I've seen of him... You should be preparing for the enemy bringing the fight to our den," Enyi reminded.

"If Simba gets word of this, they won't have to bring the fight to our den (although they technically already did when they stormed Priderock). He'll bring the fight to theirs... and if the hyenas were indeed capable enough to conquer Priderock, that'd be suicide..." Kovu complained, frowning ever more profound.

"Yet another reason to think this through carefully. Simba is wise, but he is proud and sensitive as well. We mustn't rush him, or he might rush us," Rafiki concluded.

"Since when did you start conspiring against your beloved king?" Kovu yawned cynically, "But you're right: we'll have to do this one step at a time. First thing we need to do, is get some sleep. Or at least I do, before I make any fatigue-related mistakes. We don't do anything until sunrise… except for you, Vitani."

"What?" Vitani growled, righteously feeling offended at the sound of Kovu's remark.

"We can't have you around, I made Simba believe you're out spying on the hyenas. If he sees you here, he'll start asking all sorts of annoying questions... especially when he notices you still reek of hyena," Kovu replied scornfully, "No, even though I'm happy to have you back here with me, I'm afraid you'll have to be going again: I'll have Enyi round up some friends of her, they'll assist you in your next task; you'll be guarding the 'Golden River' (since that appears to have become our new border now that those scavengers have taken residence around Priderock) to the south 'till tomorrow-noon, just to make sure the hyenas don't catch me sleeping when and if they decide to attack us."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Vitani sneered. That wasn't really the homecoming she had been expecting. But then again, Kovu was right, she couldn't really argue with what he said... Still, he could have at least given her the chance to get something to eat, or some rest: she was getting all the work just so Kovu could slack off and postpone his problems for one night.

"Can't I at least get some sleep, or a decent dinner before I leave?"

"Hey, feel free to munch up whatever you come across on the way. And by the time you reach the river, no-one'll be stopping you from taking a nap; Enyi and her friends 'll be glad to wake you up in case something happens. In fact, once you reach the Golden River, do whatever you like. I just don't want you doing it here, around Simba," Kovu clarified.

"Don't I need some sleep too?" Enyi suddenly asked.

"Hey, if Vitani's hyena-friend is as pacifist as she wants us to believe, you'll have very little to guard and more then enough time to nap. But just to be sure, take some friends with you who can actually stay awake. Meanwhile, I'll triple the guard around the den, and send out scouts to the north; I won't be caught off guard..."

"And we'll stay here, alongside the King," Rafiki added firmly.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat... I bet Simba'll be glad to have you around, you might even improve his mood; that won't hurt. Just don't mention the 'you-know-who'. And make sure he doesn't find out why I'm sending out scouts. That goes for you too, cheetah."

Kiruhu seemed to snap out of his slumber.

"Huh?"

"Hey Kovu, make sure he doesn't get hurt, all right? He's with me," Vitani replied, signing at Kiruhu.

"Don't worry, the Fast-runner is safe with me, young Vitani. And any friend of mine is a friend of Simba," Rafiki reassured both Vitani and Kiruhu.

"Whatever... Okay, you all know what to do now? Great, then I'm off taking a long and well-deserved nap with my beautiful princes. And please, _do not_ – I can't stress this enough – do not wake me up for anything less than thirty hyenas drooling down my neck, will ya? Now shoo, sod off!" Kovu concluded, taking of with his longest and loudest yawn as of yet. His worries had increased exponentially, true, but at least now he felt tired enough to postpone them. And maybe the morning sun would be able to shed some more light on the mess that seemed to have arisen practically overnight. Who knows, maybe his problems would even spontaneously dissolve all at once as he slept! Or maybe not... Probably not... Certainly not. Clearly not. Not.

* * *

"I still don't get it..."

"Look, it's really not that hard... My sister tried to whack me by proxy, what is there to not understand?"

No, I didn't mean that. It's just I don't get why she would want to do that."

"And you were the brightest kid your uncle could dig up?" Vincent chuckled, "Gimme a break... You're doing this on purpose, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Tiko frowned in indignation, "It's just that you say she killed you to inherit your power, but also mentioned she was already the matriarch of your clan _before_ she supposedly killed you. I mean, you don't get much more powerful than that, right?"

"You weren't listening, it's more complicated than that... She had the title of matriarch..."

"Ah... So she was the ruler _de iure_, whilst you lead _de facto_?"

"Spot-on."

"You hyenas sure make things complicated..."

"Just trying to live up to the primates, 's all," Vincent grinned, "You got a problem with that?"

"No, not at all," Tiko reassured, "To the contrary: it's pretty interesting. I bet that also means you guys got some pretty neat laws, right?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, we don't really have time for that kind of stuff..."

"Come on now, you're saying me a clan counting dozens and dozens of individuals and countless intrigues just shapes up into a stable society all by itself?"

"Eh... yeah, pretty much. We just do like our parents did before us, and everything turns out fine. Well, sort of..." the hyena yawned.

"Well there you have it: customary law! See, I told you law was everywhere!"

"Law is everywhere where there are legal advisors, you mean... besides, I'm not doubting the law's existence, only its relevance."

"Bah, I could as well be talking to a tree," Tiko sighed at Vincent's indifference, "Anyway... where were we? Ah yes, your sister tried killing you... so she could get your power?"

"That, and one of her other lifelong ambitions: go to war and get back at the lions, something which I didn't really consider a primary objective, to say the least. But then, she got rid of me and blamed it all on Vitani, a lion, all so she would have an excuse to go to war."

"She did? Now that's interesting... Your sister told you that, the whole conspiracy theory?"

"Of course not. Her cronies did... after some persuasion," Vincent giggled.

"Right..." Tiko mumbled slightly less at ease, "So her henchmen told you she wanted to blame a lion for your death?"

"Well, no, they of course took the blame on themselves to shield their superior. But It's obvious Shenya was in fact behind it all!"

"Obvious... but not proven? Not even a forced confession?"

"Well, no, if you put it that way..." Vincent muttered, before he was interrupted by Tiko again.

"You know, this is all great material you have here! Especially if there's no proof of your sister being involved. Do you realize what jackpot this is?" Tiko exclaimed, suddenly strangely enthusiast. Vincent just grumbled, not really sure what the hornbill was getting all worked up about, and not really caring either. But Tiko seemed bent on explaining whatever it was he thought to have discovered.

"Look, so this all started when some of your guys crossed the border to hunt, right? That's an offense, a punishable one too. Now, I don't say those lions didn't overreact when they killed two of the trespassers, but since those hyenas were killed whilst committing a felony, you had no right to retaliate, and you were smart enough not to do so too..."

"Gee, I must have a natural knack in the field of law," Vincent grumbled cynically.

"As a matter of fact, I think you do," Tiko replied, unaware of any irony as he continued his elaborate explanation, "Now stay with me, this is real gold we have here. So when you decided not to react, you did the right thing, legally speaking, and so did Kovu when he sent Vitani to work out a deal in compensation for his pridemates' overreaction. Up to there, it's all perfectly by the book. But after you met with Vitani, things get interesting, again legally speaking."

"Go on..." Vincent said, starting to feel slightly interested now, mostly because of Tiko's quite passionate way of talking. Feeling encouraged, Tiko rambled on with redoubled efforts.

"Okay, so you're negotiating with Vitani, right, when all of a sudden, this... eh..."

"Kali?"

"Right, this Kali-chick pops up and tries to kill you. Now, you said she had more than enough motives to want you dead, and it also seems like there is no evidence to confirm your sister was pulling her strings, so legally, we can only assume she was working on her own!"

"Eh, remember Seko?" Vincent inquired.

"I'll get back on him in a minute, all right? Okay, so Kali makes you and Vitani go MIA Missing In Action, presumed dead, and then blames it all on Vitani, telling she was an assassin sent by the lion pride. Now, we're still presuming your sister had nothing to do with this, so when she hears the news, she has no choice but to consider it true, and no reason to presume it false. So at that point, from her point of view and that of your entire clan, lions had indeed murdered you. Now, murdering someone is not a nice thing to do, obviously. But you're not just someone, right?"

"Well, _de iure_ I was, remember..." Vincent smiled, quite fond of his witty reaction.

"Heck no! It's not 'cause you're not the king, queen or matriarch that you're officially a nobody; judging from what I've heard, you were kind of the hyena Head of Government," Tiko explained, not noticing Vincent wasn't quite keeping up with him.

"And that makes my sis..."

"The Head of State, duh."

"Right... hmmm... don't lions usually combine the two to fit one monarch?"

"Yeah, but you're not a lion, now are you?" Tiko grinned.

"Nice thinking... nice twist to reality. I might just even consider a legal advisor like you interesting… who knows, maybe even useful."

"And I ain't even halfway yet!" Tiko exclaimed, obviously flattered, "Okay, so you're the hyena Head of State, someone official, important, immune. So when someone who is sent as an emissary abuses the trust invoked by that title and kills then you - an important and official representative of your clan - on orders from the king next door..."

"... that king next door commits some serious offense..."

"An offense? My good sir hyena, that's no offense, that's nothing short of a true _Casus belli_!"

"If only it were true, that is..."

"Ah, but that's the fascinating part!" Tiko smiled, "Your sister had no way of knowing it was all a lie, and acted in honest and reasonable conviction that a lion had indeed killed you. So if she retaliated for your presumed assassination, even though she acted on false grounds, no blame befalls her or your clan: they acted in perfect accordance to customary law based on the knowledge they had at the time, and thus cannot be blamed for starting an unjust war. I bet you didn't see that one coming, eh?"

"Now don't get too cocky," Vincent replied, "Your theory might have been ground-braking and overly shocking, especially to the lion-pride, if not for a couple of flaws: you presume Shenya didn't have anything to do with the attempt on my life, but I personally doubt that. And presuming she was in fact not involved, which, as I said, is doubtful, those who were involved (like Kali, to name one) _are_ still responsible for starting a justifiable (though this isn't true for them, of course) but still unjust war..."

"...and those war-makers should thus be brought to justice," Tiko concluded.

"Ah, now we're talking!"

"... but it might be... opportune to give your sister the benefit of the doubt," Tiko quickly added, "Because if you do, your clan is pretty much off the hook for starting an unjust war (if you do not blame your sister, both her and your clan were clearly exculpable), which might come in handy once you try negotiating your way out with the lions again; it's always good to know you did nothing wrong. That is, if you plan on resolving the conflict peacefully now. I can only hope that does happen to be the case, or is it not?"

"That was the plan. Besides, carrying on the fight now, knowing what you just told me, would be illegal, right?" Vincent giggled out loud.

"Quite..." Tiko replied, a lot less amused.

"There's one thing I don't get, though..."

"Yes?"

"You. Aren't you supposed to help out the lions in stead of handing me excused to silence them once I have to try and negotiate my way out of this mess?"

"What can I say, justice does not differentiate between hyena and lion..." Tiko grinned.

_And neither do I, especially not now that the Priderock has changed sides… I can only imagine the look on Zazu's face if he heard me talk like this... well yeah, of course I can only imagine; his face ain't around no-more... _

Tiko's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a smooth yet uncouth, slightly high-pitched voice resounding through he night.

"Vincent?"

Both Vincent and Tiko froze, startled at the voice which suddenly and inexplicably seemed to have come out of the blackness around them.

"Who's there?" the hyena shouted with a slight hint of panic, not able to identify whoever it was that had called out his name. Not before long though, four glistering eyes appeared out of the darkness, reflecting the pale moonlight in the most ghastly manner.

"Sir? Is that really you?"

As the glittering eyes moved closely, a dark silhouette formed around them. It didn't take long before Vincent recognized Shetani's imposing, regal posture, not to mention her peculiar manes. Well, he would have had to run across someone at some point, it might as well have been Shetani: as far as Vincent knew, she hadn't been amongst the traitors, so her appearance did not result in instant panic. Vincent even felt kind of relieved; meeting Kali at this point, for example would have been a real bummer, to say the least.

"Phew, Shetani! Thank goodness it's you, you were just the girl I needed" Vincent replied, trying to sound way more confident than he actually was. Shetani seemed to be a bit less at ease than him, though.

"But sir, you... you... they said a lion killed you!"

"Well, as my avian comrade here would say 'Yes and no, with a strong emphasis on the no'."

"Thank the Spirits your still alive!" Shetani suddenly exclaimed as she came racing towards him, acting way more intimate than Vincent was used of her , "We all thought you were..."

"Wow, easy there now... me being alive doesn't mean you have to treat me like I came back from the dead."

As she seemed a bit embarrassed by that remark, Shetani immediately backed off and gave Vincent a more formal greeting.

"My apologies sir, I got carried away."

"Hey, it could have been worse," Vincent yawned, "Where did you pop up from all of a sudden anyway?"

"One of my scouting teams picked up your trail up near the border, and one of the scouts kept stalking you, whilst the other one ran straight back to the den to come and get me..." Shetani explained.

"I didn't realize we had a border 'round these parts, or a den for that matter," Vincent interrupted sarcastic.

"A lot has happened after you die... disappeared, sir. And by the looks of it, you've had a rough time yourself too," Shetani pointed out, reminding Vincent of the fact that the past three days of falling down cliffs, fighting hyenas, cheetahs and deadly mountain-passes had had a considerable effect on his appearances, and not for the better, "In fact, I should be the one asking where you popped up from – especially if I take into account that you apparently already knew of our new den; you are heading straight towards it."

"Touché. Well, I guess I do owe you an explanation – but you owe me one too. Tell, me, what are you doing here, in the midst of lion land, literally near the lion's den?"

"Phew... I wouldn't know where to begin," Shetani admitted, "But I can say it's not quite the lion's den anymore..."

"Yes, I figured as much... let's start where I left, where you heard that I had, in some way or another been killed..."

* * *

_Poor thing..._

Kiuma couldn't help but feel sorry for the frail heap of misery that lay crying in front of her, on the cold rock-floor. Although she knew she shouldn't have the least bit of compassion with the likes of her, who had after all just killed over a dozen of her clanmates, Kiuma still felt that what she had just seen happing to the young lioness in front of her was undeserved, to say the least. That's why she had intervened in the first place after all. And even now, as all the other lionesses sat clustered together in the far side of the cave, they refused to cease their efforts to plague and try to break their former companion. One lioness in particular seemed to have taken the lead in the assault. Surprisingly, it was not the one they had identified as the aging queen, but in stead quite the opposite: apart from the lioness Kiuma had separated from the group, the agitator seemed to be the youngest member of what remained of the lion-pride. Like all her companions, the bullying lioness too was badly hurt, crippled even, but she still stood firm and proud, her vivid but hard and unforgiving eyes piercing right through Kiuma.

"Yeah, that's it, cry, cry with your newfound 'friends', treacherous rat!" the lioness hissed viciously. The sound of her voice alone sent a shiver down Kiuma's spine.

Only moments before, she had heard that voice's sound for the first time, as it had broken the silence in which the lionesses had been locked ever since they had been detained in the cave. It had been a fell insult towards the young lioness that seemed to have been kept outside the tight group of surviving lionesses. Kiuma had immediately recognized the outsider: it had been the naive, hapless lioness that had tried to prevent the late Kim from bleeding to death (to no avail, by the way). It now seemed as if her compassionate yet futile action had not fallen all to well with her kin. The fact she had been one of the few Outlanders (and looked it too, with her dark fur and skinny yet soothe build) around Priderock didn't help much either.

"Kani, don't, please," the queen had still sighed in a vain attempt at defusing the situation, but the combative and proud lioness that seemed to have picked on the outsider carried on relentlessly, ignoring the orders of what she had recently come to consider an overly weak queen, now stripped of all authority she might have previously possessed.

"No! I won't have it! While we all shed our blood for our king and our pride, this filthy worm found nothing better to do that to help out those murdering savages!"

"But I was only trying to..." the young lioness had tried to utter in her defense, when she was brutally silenced by the lioness called Kani, who, despite her crippling wounds, still found the power to viciously lash out and hit her opponent hard on the yaw.

"Shove it! How dare you even as much as speak to me, backstabbing vermin?" Kani had growled in disgust, her otherwise pleasant voice now broken by hate, "The likes of you shouldn't even be allowed to so much as breathe!"

At which point Kani had refrained from further insults and just decided to put her words to actions. Much to the shock of the hyenas around them who had been ordered to guard them, Kani had jumped the other lioness, immediately followed by two other of the wounded lionesses who seemed to have shared her point of view. The targeted lioness, the outsider, didn't bother to resist. It was at that point that Kiuma, who was in charge of the hyena-squad guarding the detained lionesses, had intervened, trying to separate the targeted lioness from the rest of her pride, who had obviously taken a very hostile stance against the outsider. The act of separation proved surprisingly easy, as all the lionesses were weak, wounded and certainly not up for a fight against the foe that had beaten and obliterated them the previous morning. So now Kiuma just sat there, in between what remained of the lion pride in one corner of the cave, and the young, expelled lioness in the other. That Kiuma putting the lioness apart seemed to have been all the proof of treason Kani and her companions needed, was a necessary evil: keeping the prisoners detained and alive were her orders; the internal cohesion of the lion pride on the other hand was rather inessential.  
But Kiuma still felt sorry for the rejected lioness though: what happened to her was simply unjust! Being accused of treason just because of the most basic uttering of compassion and sympathy... she felt it'd just be plain wrong to sit by idle and watch it happen. That poor girl needed her sympathy! On the other hand, she was still a lion... then again, the lioness hadn't hesitated to help out a hyena, so why should Kiuma hesitate to turn the tables around?

"Hum... eh... Are... are you... all right?" Kiuma hesitatingly asked as she sat down right next to the crying lioness. From the corners of her eyes she could see the reactions from her fellow-guardsmen (well, more guards-women anyway). As was to be expected, the appreciation which could be read on their faces ranged from slightly compassionate to extremely scornful. Meanwhile, the lioness kept on crying, especially when Kani added another one of her loathing remarks.

"She hasn't ever been better: at least now, she's among her equals. One happy, disgusting scavenger family!"

"Cram it!" Kiuma shouted back, annoyed at Kani's obvious disrespect for her authority, not to mention her overall heartlessness, "You've still got three paws that work, I hope you'd like to keep it that way..."

Kani didn't seem to be impressed, and indeed she wasn't, but she decided that for the sake of her pride (or at least the honorable part) she'd better not further taunt the hyena and the traitor: no use in letting her disgust for the treacherous lioness threaten the wellbeing of what remained of her beloved pride.

"Come on, calm down, it's okay now..." Kiuma whispered at the lioness. The more she looked at her, the more she got convinced the lioness was still just a kid, caught between the yaws of war years too soon (that is if there is ever a right age to be swallowed up in the horror that is war). Reminded her of when her own kid had only been a wee lass, and brought back some of her maternal instincts too: before she knew it, one of her paws lay upon the crying lioness' shoulder. Kiuma quickly withdrew her paw when she realized what she was doing, only to hesitate in midair and eventually decide to just put in back again. The lioness didn't seem to mind, although some dismayed muttering seemed to arise from the lionesses in the other part of the cave.   
The lioness' fur felt quite soft, almost pleasant even as Kiuma stroked across her neck. After a short while, the lioness seemed to have calmed down.

"There we go... eh... are you okay?" Kiuma asked, failing to think of anything else to ask.

"I've... been better," the lioness sobbed, inducing a faint smile on Kiuma's face. Kani seemed like she wanted to comment on that with yet another vicious remark, but eventually decided just to ignore the traitor from now on, as bringing her down wasn't really that productive after all.

"I can imagine... what's your name?"

"Anana," the lioness sniveled after a short hesitation, "But everyone just calls me Ana."

_Or used to anyway, now it's all traitor-this and backstabber-that..._

"That's a nice name... Listen, Anana, I know it probably doesn't mean much, coming from my mouth, but... try not to let 'em get to you, all right? You deserve better that this."

"No I don't..." the lioness sobbed.

"Huh? Why would you say that? You didn't do anything wrong," Kiuma corrected her.

"No, you're wrong. Too you it might seem like I did the right thing, but they're right: I betrayed my pride..."

"Hey, now listen here," Kiuma interrupted a bit upset, putting her paw on Anana's back again "You did the right thing, that's what matters, got it? If you do what's right, what your hearth tells you is right, then that's all that matters, even if it means going against your clan (or pride, for that matter). Sometimes, for the good of your clan, you have go against it."

"How would you know?" the lioness snuffled still a bit shaken, looking at the ground.

"Trust me, I know, I've been there," Kiuma reassured with grim gaze, still stroking Anana's back, "I've been there..."

When she closed her eyes, Kiuma could still see Vincent disappear below the White Pass cliff, and she could still feel the relief she had felt then too: finally her former matriarch had been avenged, finally her clan had been freed of that power-hungry creep who treated his subjects not as individuals but as mere pawns, and finally they would be able to present the bill for decades of oppression and murder to the lions. But now as she sat next to one of the 'oppressors', tenderly stroking her as she tried comforting her, she felt increasingly doubtful if she had indeed served her clan by going against it...

"You're nice..." the young lioness whispered as she moved a bit closer to Kiuma, who replied a bit dreamingly, still keeping her paw on the lioness.

"Wouldn't it be a lot easier if we were all just a bit nicer..."

Before Anana could reply however, one of Kiuma's colleagues interrupted their conversation.

"Eh ma'am... Sorry to bother you, but there are some Graymanes out asking for you..."

"Huh?" Kiuma replied, a bit confused, "Graymanes? Shetani's cronies? What do they need me for?"

But before the guard could respond, three huge, grayish hyenas entered the cave and arrogantly walked up to Kiuma, expecting everyone to step aside as they did.  
Kani looked at the newcomers with a mixture of curiosity, fear, but also hate as she immediately recognized them: two of them had been present in the babysitting-cave during the Battle of Priderock, it had been them (amongst others) who had killed Kausha, wounded Kali and forced the lions to surrender by using their cubs as hostages. So naturally, Kani guessed their arrival wouldn't exactly mean good news.

"Miss Kiuma? You have been summoned, in the name of the Matriarch, please come with us immediately. We'll be taking over here."

Maybe it was something in their voice, in their behavior, but something just didn't seem right, causing Kiuma to hesitate.

"Hold it, I've been ordered to guard these lions, what is this all about all of a sudden?"

"Kiuma, please don't make this harder than it already is, just come with us, all right?" another Graymane responded, whilst her two companions closed in on Kiuma in the most intimidating manner. Seeing as all three of the hyenas that had come to get her were at least one paw bigger than she was, Kiuma considered it the better choice just to do as they said, even though she had already figured out something was definitely rotten (figuratively, of course).  
Anana looked at Kiuma, the only one that had done just as much as trying to comfort her, with her gentle greenish eyes as she got up and reluctantly walked out in front of two of the Graymanes, whilst the third one stayed behind. Some muttering arose from the remaining guarding hyenas, but the Graymane that had stayed behind quickly answered their questions.

"Listen up! I've been assigned as the new squad leader in charge of guarding the detainees. I do this in the name of the Matriarch, so you now only answer directly to me, got it?"

"But what about Kiuma?" one of the more critical guards noted, voicing Anana's concerns as well.

"She has been relieved of her command and has henceforth no authority whatsoever over you. You answer only to me."

"Yeah yeah, but when is Kiuma coming back? What's going on?" the suspicious hyena replied, pretty much ignoring the previous answer altogether.

"Miss Kiuma won't be coming back, that's all I can say to you now. Further briefing will follow when you are relieved; these matters do not concern the detainees," the Graymane reported.

"What?" some of the guards exclaimed, and Anana with them: the only one to have shown her any compassion since the end of the Battle of Priderock snatched away from her already? That must've hit pretty hard on the young lioness. But things were soon to get worse. While the remaining Graymane questioned the other guards as to why Anana had been separated from the rest of the lion pride, the young lioness could just catch a glimpse of Kiuma as she left the cave, followed by her two escorts.

As Kiuma walked out, she was for an instance confused as to her own whereabouts: she still wasn't quite used to the Priderock-complex. She slowed her pace to be able to talk to the two Graymanes trailing her.

"You wouldn't want to tell me what this is all about, would you?" she asked a bit wary, but in stead of getting a response she was just pushed ahead.

"Hey, what gives?" Kiuma asked in indignation at the rude treatment to befall her, when she suddenly spotted Kali below, walking in the middle of the small plaza just below the Rock. She had an escort of three Graymanes accompanying her. It was at that point that Kiuma felt her stomach turning: inside, she already knew what was going on, but her mind just wasn't ready to accept it yet. Until she looked up to the cave above her, the one just before the Rock.  
She spotted four other hyenas walking on the trail towards it: three females and one smaller male. She immediately recognized Shetani because of her awkward manes; she reasoned the other two females were thus probably Graymanes as well. But that male walking in front of them... suddenly, he turned his head and for the blink of an eye, looked straight at Kiuma, who recognized him instantly. If it hadn't been for her fur, she would have turned as pale as the moon that shone above her head: up on that trail strode Vincent.  
She just couldn't believe it, it just couldn't be! It shouldn't be! What was it, a phantom, a demon, a Spirit? But when Vincent briefly cast a vicious, ghastly grin at her, Kiuma instantly knew it was him. And she immediately figured why they had come get her from the detainee-cave as well: Vincent had somehow escaped all attempts at his life and had now returned alive and well; the time for his wrath upon those that had tried to kill him was now at hand.  
Still seeing his evil grin before her, Kiuma was convinced she wouldn't even live to see the next sunrise if she were to put her fate in Vincent's paws. So, in a rush of panic, she did the only thing she could in the given situation, the only thing she could think of in a rush of adrenaline: she ran, ran for her life, for all she had, against all odds.  
With surprising agility, she jumped back, turned around and raced past her escort, trying to make it to the plaza and eventually down the ramp that connected the Priderock-complex to the rest of the Pridelands. Where she'd be going from there... quite frankly she didn't even expect to make it that far. And those low expectations proved formidably accurate: the two Graymanes stalking her had been expecting a desperate attempt at an outbreak, and had already braced themselves just in case. That, combined with their superior condition and physique (an inherent part of being a Graymane), meant the chase was over almost as swiftly as it had started: in a barrage of cackles and whoops, Kiuma crashed down on the ground with her two opponents on top of her. Although her situation could only be described as hopeless, and notwithstanding the fact that the Graymanes tried to pacify her with only minimal use of force, Kiuma still resisted fiercely, convinced her life depended on it. She tried fighting her way out, in spite of the overwhelming force her opponents presented. And if one is faced with an opponent who is cornered and fighting for his or her life, one cannot but act likewise to preserve ones self. The two Graymanes, finding themselves in such a position, quickly reverted to the use of excessive force to quell their rebellious target. This in turn prompted even more violent behavior from Kiuma, who was now sure they were out to kill her. That's what they call a downwards spiral of violence.  
The fight went on for a couple of seconds, continuously intensifying, until, suddenly, before anyone had had the time to intervene, a bone-chilling scream echoed across the plaza. The two Graymanes let go of their target and backed off. It wasn't really clear what had invoked that one particular scream of Kiuma (as she was covered in all sorts of wounds all over her now mangled body), but whatever it was, it had broken her resistance thoroughly: she now lay groaning and panting on the dusty rocks, more dead than alive. The Graymanes were relatively unhurt, save for some nasty bites on their paws: one of them now limped. Kiuma wasn't a match for them, obviously. They looked a bit shocked at their own deadly efficiency, and were not sure what to do now.  
Kali, who had seen the tragedy unfold, decided to abort her own escape plan, as she would otherwise most likely have met the same fate. One of Kali's captors seemed to have been somehow what in charge and signaled the Graymanes standing near Kiuma to proceed as ordered. Taking that order pretty literally, the two then decided to grab the severely wounded Kiuma by the front-paws and drag her towards the Rock. In doing so, they left a faint trail of blood. As Kiuma was dragged towards the Rock, she passed the entrance of the cave in which the lionesses were held captive.   
Anana, who had been listening to the sounds outside with ever increasing worry, let loose a single scream of disbelief as she saw the mangled Kiuma being dragged passed the cave. Kani, in what probably surpassed all her previous heartless comments, intentionally voiced the feelings Anana had at the time.

"Gee, seems like we ain't the only ones you're betraying," Kani chuckled, "Everyone of them scavengers you put your filthy paws on seems to end up..."

"Kani, please!" Nala interrupted angrily, now unable to further hide her compassion with the young Outlander called Anana, "You pride yourself in being a Pridelander, than for the Kings' sake, act like one!"

Kani looked upon her queen not much differently then she would look at a hyena, or Anana.

"A Pridelander does not stand by idly as treason spreads all around her... and a Pridelander does not just surrender her pride, her land and her king..." Kani sneered.

Nala wasn't sure whether she should respond by smacking Kani in the face, or by responding in words. Kani definitely expected a beating, that Nala could tell by the defiant look in the lioness' eyes.

"I'm not going to hit a cripple," Nala grumbled, obviously disappointing the worked up Kani "But don't you ever take that tone in talking to me again, got it? You speak of land, pride and king... I'll tell you what our pride is: the cubs, they are our pride, they make up it's present and future. To abandon them would be to abandon the pride, the Pridelands and all that being a Pridelander stands for. Besides... did you too not surrender to safeguard them?"

Ah yes, the cubs... whatever became of them? Well... not much really: all in all, they had been the ones to get of easiest, surprisingly enough. It could have turned out otherwise too, of course, as there were a great deal of hyenas who were firm believers in the concept of extermination, and quite frankly, I wouldn't know whether they were but a minority within their clan.  
Luckily, Shenya, who was still the Matriarch after all, had (none too soon, that's for fact) eventually been struck by remorse, as the fate of the lion cubs had hung in the balance, thus prompting a less brutal approach towards the lion-problem. Though it is probable the lions would otherwise have been kept alive all the same, to be used as hostages if need be. But that wasn't the case: Shenya had decided to spare them (and the surviving lionesses) as a form of atonement, as she now had serious doubts as to the necessity and morality of her previous actions against the pride.  
Shenya's new, laxer attitude had met a lot of reluctance and even protest within her own clan. But she pushed through: for what Shenya was concerned, the killing was over (as was her hate, now replaced by doubt, sorrow and self-reproach), and the time to try and make up for the casualties already suffered was at hand.  
Of course, for security purposes, it had been impossible to keep the cubs and adult lionesses together, but Shenya had tried to compensate for that the best she could: every now and then, a lioness would be allowed to suckle the youngest of the cubs (the others were fed leftover meat, like their adult counterparts), while Shenya herself watched over the young lions the rest of the time. She had even considered putting the youngest lions together with the clan's own pups, but that had been deemed 'insane' by almost all hyena mothers. As a matter of fact, Shenya's sudden change for what concerned dealing with the lions was greeted mostly by distrust, anger and even disobedience within her own clan: the overall feeling was that her behavior wasn't how a strong leader was supposed to act, not in the wake of the greatest victory ever in the history of their clan.  
So, to get away from all the worries of day-to-day politics, Shenya had more or less sought refuge with the lion-cubs, spending more time gaining their trust and fooling around with them than with the management of her clan. Her impending motherhood had something to do with that as well, of course.  
And thus, Shenya found herself playing around with the cubs that had come to trust her, when she suddenly heard the most awful of screams resounding outside. Both her and the young lions looked up in shock, at the cave entrance, from where the sound had come. Suddenly, Shetani appeared in the entrance. Before Shenya got the time to ask what the hell was going on outside, another figure appeared next to Shetani, much smaller than her. Shenya stared at him with disbelief. That couldn't be...

"Vincent? Is that you?"

"You look ridiculous," the smaller hyena replied. Shenya suddenly realized one of the tiny lions was still sitting atop her neck, resting it's small head in the manes on her forehead; that must've indeed looked rather ridiculous. She gently allowed the cub to get off, but than ran straight to her brother, as she was now sure it was him.   
Forgetting all her former worries for a while, she was overjoyed at her brother's sudden reappearance, to such an extent she didn't even notice the cold stare in his dark eyes; Vincent lived! Her dear brother, for whom she had mourned, fought and killed now stood before her alive and well it seemed. But before Shenya could reach her brother for an intimate hug coming from the very bottom of her hearth, Shetani and two of her henchmen stepped in front of Vincent, shielding him.

"Ma'am, please step back..."

"What? But... why..." Shenya stuttered in absolute confusion, oblivious to what was going on.

"Please, sis, don't play dumb, and don't take me for a fool," Vincent replied coldly.

"Vincent? But... what are you talking about?"

"You know damn well, sis."

"No, I don't!" Shenya exclaimed as two Graymanes tried pushing her back, "I though you were dead, what is going on here?"

"Yeah, you sure did, you sure did think I was dead, didn't you? And just in case I wasn't, you sent your despicable underlings after me so they could finish the job!"

"What are you talking about?" Shenya gasped, growing ever more confused and concerned, "I tried making sure you were safe! I even sent Seko to go look for you!"

"Gee, I didn't think you'd confess this easily..." Vincent smiled awkwardly, "So it was you who was pulling that rat Seko's strings!"

"But... what... Seko found you? Where is he then?" Shenya stuttered, understanding less and less as her conversation with Vincent went on.

"Oh, the bastard found me all right. But I'm afraid he won't be returning here to enjoy his accomplishments."

"What?" Shenya gasped, "Where's Seko? What did you do to him?"

"I gave him three kisses, a warning and than sent him away, awarding him a small present," Vincent sighed, "What do you think I did?"

For a moment, Shenya just sat there flabbergasted: this was all going way too fast for her, and she didn't get any of it too, which could be read on her face. Vincent didn't fail to notice.

"You don't have any clue as to what is going on, do you?"

"No, quite frankly, I don't!" Shenya exclaimed angrily, "What the hell has gotten into you? You suddenly appear out of nowhere, alive and well after I thought of you as dead for days on end, and in stead of letting me welcome you back you treat me like some kind of a criminal, blabbering nothing but incoherent nonsense! Now where's Seko?"

"Look, dear sister, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a lot of duties to attend to. I suggest you talk things over with my new advisor," Vincent grinned malignly, "Tiko? Get over here, if you please?"

On Vincent's signal, a green hornbill cautiously entered the cave, much to Shenya's surprise.

"Shenya, meet Tiko. Tiko, meet Shenya. She's _supposed to be_ our Matriarch."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Tiko smiled cautiously but still politely.

"Just to make things clear: not you, or anyone else touches as much as a feather on his head, or you're dealing with me, got it?" Vincent added, "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Tiko, make sure you tell her everything I told you, and everything you told me. I trust you'll prove intelligent enough to keep it all coherent enough, just so my sister here doesn't loose track..."

"Okay..." Tiko sighed, reluctantly accepting his new task, feeling not all to happy at the prospect of being locked in a cave with a bunch of strange hyenas. Shenya, however, didn't seem satisfied either.

"Hey, what's that all about? You get back here!" She shouted as Vincent turned his back on her and walked out. She tried following her, but the two Graymanes to have accompanied Shetani blocked her path, and something told her she'd better not try to get past them. Having nowhere else to turn, she addressed Tiko, who now sat uncomfortably next to her.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Well..."

Meanwhile, Vincent had already made his way back out with Shetani. The hyenas they passed while walking, who had been guarding the cave with the Matriarch and the lion-cubs, looked at him with a mixture of awe, confusion but also fear as he walked by.  
That wasn't the Vincent they remembered at all; the hyena to have appeared out of nowhere seemed in stead a reincarnation of Vincent's late (and infamous) father Mikhail. But none had the courage to address him, not with the fearsome Shetani at his side, and the screams of Kiuma still echoing through their minds. And besides, most hyenas weren't looking at Vincent but in stead at the scene unfolding in the middle of the plaza under the Rock. All but one, who came racing towards Vincent.  
Having only one eye, he was easily recognizable. Shetani attempted to block him from reaching Vincent, but was ordered to stand down as Vincent immediately recognized Banzaï, one of his most trusted friends within the clan.

"Vincent? Is that you? Thank the Spirits, it is you!"

"Hey, Banzaï! Good to see you, old comrade," Vincent smiled as he moved closer for a brief hug.

"But how... what... I thought you were..."

"Yeah, I get that a lot lately," Vincent interrupted grinningly, "But I should be the one asking the questions; seems like you guys haven't been fooling around either!"

"Man, when I heard them say you were back I immediately race here!" Banzaï enthusiastically replied, ignoring Vincent's question "I just couldn't believe it, but here you are! You sure got a lot of explaining to do, you know."

"I guess, but..." Vincent wanted to reply, when he was cut short by an increasing noise arising from the plaza below them. Both hyenas took a peak down the path leading towards the plaza, to see what all the fuzz was about, although Vincent could already guess what it was all about.  
It probably had to do with the orders he had issued to Shetani and her henchmen prior to entering the Priderock-complex: fearing the reaction of the remaining traitors, Vincent had decided to first gather a force of loyalists around Shatani, who had then started cracking down on all possible treacherous elements, as Vincent made his way towards Shenya. What was happening on the plaza was the mere result: all traitors, and their closest relatives, were being rounded up for punishment, before anyone of them got the possibility to flee or resist. It had been a move carefully thought up by Vincent after meeting Shetani and just before coming to Priderock: in one swoop, he'd retake control over the clan and at the same time purge it of all possible traitors, all by using the element of surprise (and Shetani's unquestioningly loyal elite-unit, along with numerous other close trustees of Shetani, of course). After all, _some goals do justify any means._  
As Banzaï looked down, he quickly saw most of the clan gathered on the plaza. It was easy to distinct three groups: the largest had swarmed out all around the plaza, mostly sitting at the outskirts talking and looking at what was happening in the very center of the plaza. In the center sat two groups: one group of what seemed to be guards fortified with numerous Graymanes who were in charge, and another group surrounded and driven together by those guards.  
In the group being driven together, Banzaï quickly recognized Kali. Apart from her, there was also one severely wounded, one pup and five other hyenas, all of whom were former Westclanners. Most of the noise seemed to have come from the audience, protesting against what they could only explain as a random and pointless round-up of friends and clanmates. The Graymanes, however, forcefully kept what seemed to be their captives separated from the rest of the clan.

"Vincent, what's going on down there? Why are all those hyenas and that pup..." Banzaï asked in confusion.

"Banzaï, my friend, I'll tell you what I'll tell anyone else, for I'm about to make an announcement for all the clan to hear," Vincent sighed, seemingly not to enthusiast, "It's show-time..."

Without further explanation, he leaped forward, towards a small ledge on the left side of the Rock. Although it gave a great view over the Plaza, the right side was obscured by the Rock. Vincent's original intent had been to speak to his clan from atop the Rock itself, but faced with it's sheer size and height, he decided it'd be better if he just deliver his little come-back-speech from a ledge. The crowd below (except for the guards), of whom most weren't even aware of Vincent's return, turned away from what happened in the middle of the Plaza to look up, as more and more individuals started shouting Vincent's name, or simply patting on each-others shoulder and then pointing at Vincent. He didn't even need words to draw the crowd's attention, though words did come in handy to calm it down.

"All right, all right, easy now... No, your eyes didn't deceive you.  
Yes, it's me and yes, I know most of you are surprised to see me," Vincent took of with surprising ease and confidence. Then again, speeching was something he was fairly good at, when compared to his sister for example.

"My trusted friend Shetani has already brought me up-to-speed; I am aware that most, if not all of you, thought of me as dead. And given the circumstances, you had no reason whatsoever to even suspect the opposite. But still, I am here, I am standing here before you today, alive!  
Why?   
That, my friends, is a question not easily answered. But I will try answering it nonetheless, for it concerns each and every one of you; it explains how each and every one of you, each one of us, was shamefully and wickedly betrayed, to dramatic if not disastrous consequences..."

As Vincent's words echoed down the Plaza, they also reached the cave containing the imprisoned lions and their keepers. Hearing that something concerning the whole clan was going on outside, most of the hyenas guarding the lions had the urge to go outside, or at least turn to pay attention to the speech. The Graymane now in command of the squad could of course not allow that, and immediately made that clear to her fellow guardsmen.

"Sorry, but you have your duties to attend to: the lions have to stay under tight surveillance. As a matter of fact, I don't even want you listening in to the speech: you have to stay focused. Besides, once you're relieved by the day-shift, you'll probably receive a personal debriefing from Shetani or even Vincent himself..."the Graymane perorated in monotone voice.

"So Vincent's alive? He's here?"

"Yes. Now turn your head back to those lions," she snapped, "That reminds me: lions, listen up! I can imagine you might consider this a good time for a breakout, but let me assure you, it is not: our whole clan is gathered just outside, and your cubs are still but one command away from termination. Any attempts at a breakout will end in a bloodbath."

"Don't worry, we weren't actually planning on going anywhere anyhow," a limping lioness replied sneeringly, signing at her wounded paw which would make an escape nearly impossible, "Besides, we'd hate to miss out on your company, not to mention hospitality."

The Graymane didn't as much as blink at that last remark, being trained to ignore insults and other nonessential distractions completely. Most of the lionesses in the cave considered that rather annoying (as it meant the hyena would never let her guard down), except for Kani: without wanting to admit it to herself, she actually admired the Graymane's discipline.   
The more Kani thought about it, the more she realized it: in a way, the hyenas' accomplishments could be admired. Of course, Kani argued, they lacked any sort of style, dignity, nobleness, grace, courage and finesse, not to mention the fact their whole race was a disgusting abomination of the most impure-nature imaginable (especially when compared to a Pridelander of pure blood like herself)… But still: they were gruelingly efficient, something the lions should consider plagiarizing. Taking that into consideration, Kani figured it might not be a bad idea to just tune in for a moment and listen to whatever it was the self-proclaimed big-shot hyena outside had to say: she could only learn, to the benefit of her pride. She had missed the introduction and the first part of the hyena's speech, though.

"... and therefore, I salute you, I salute each and everyone of you: it was by your courage alone that our clan could have ever amounted to such a historic and even heroic victory on the field of battle. I myself can only wither in shame not to have been a direct participant.. And I also salute all those to have fallen or to have bled so our victory could be achieved; I salute all those who gave their lives and limbs, not for personal gain, food or stature, but for the greater good; for you, me and all generations of the past, present and future. For the clan!"

"He sure is pompous," Nala yawned, "If you consider he is, in effect, applauding the biggest theft, not to mention slaughter, in decades..."

"Shsss, I'm trying to listen here..."

"But even though their sacrifice was noble, let us not forget they fought and died not because of justice or vengeance, as all of them presumed, but because of a lie, a most despicable, treacherous lie!  
Because, as I explained before, it were no lions to try and kill me, but it were our own: we have, all of us, been betrayed! Betrayed in an act of selfish greed for stature, misplaced nostalgia for times of division, and plain stupidity. The fact of us sitting here now, on Priderock, the fact that our comrades have so heroically fallen, were but byproducts for these traitors; it would have been all the same for them if we had not been victorious, for that was the least of their concerns. They thought but of themselves, as traitors do.  
And I will not stand it! I will not sit by and watch as those filthy rats prosper while many good hyenas now lay dead because of them! No, too many times has our beautiful clan been plagued by treason and division; I say no more!  
It ends here, today we deal with treason the way it ought to be dealt with: it has to be dealt with as the worst of crimes imaginable, for can you imagine anything worse than to conspire against one's own clan and Matriarch?  
No, today we rid ourselves of all traitors, we purge the clan of all betrayal that still festers within certain individuals. And when it is all over, we will be able to start anew, our clan cleansed and ready to face it's most glorious future!  
Oh, and do not pity these treacherous worms to have been assembled here before you, in the centre of the plaza, do not even grace them with uplifting and friendly words: they deserve no compassion of any sort, for a traitor is the lowest of all life imaginable. As such, they will meet the fate that becomes the likes of them. Goodnight."

"Ah, so that's why you and that mangy scavenger got along so great: one traitor seeks another. Like likes like," Kani sneered at Anana immediately after the end of Vincent's speech, "For it is pretty obvious she was in fact one of the traitors our scruffy little fiend outside was talking about."

"Kani!" Nala shouted out in frustration, sick and tired of Kani's constant poisonous remarks: their pride was supposed to stick together, not make life a living hell onto one-another, "You end it now, or I will!"

"I'm shaking already," Kani frowned in contempt, "Nala, I'd never thought I'd have to say this, but... maybe you ought to take example to that hyena outside. At least he knows how to deal with backstabbing rats..."

Needles to say the argument between Nala and Kani raged on for some time still, while outside, Vincent turned his back to the crowd so he could, as Kani had put it, 'deal with the backstabbing rats'. First of all, he addressed Shetani.

"That's that. And now to get rid of those enemies of our clan…" he yawned, "Shetani, you wouldn't happen to know where all the bodies went after the battle? I can imagine it were quite a lot, but I couldn't see any lying around. You didn't eat them, did you?"

"That's not funny..."

"I wasn't joking," Vincent chuckled disrespectfully, "Food wasn't exactly a plentiful commodity where we came from; some of you might have picked up some nasty habits back then..."

Both Banzaï and Shetani stared at Vincent for a moment, flabbergasted, not amused one bit, to Vincent's disappointment.

"Hey, come on, where's your sense of humor? You call yourselves hyenas?"

"We took the dead to a sizable burrow south of here," Shetani finally answered after a long and awkward silence, "Shenya thought they deserved better than to stay out and rot in the sands, under a the scorching sun... and one of the lions then suggested a small burrow, some kind of cave-complex, to the south, where they usually took the lions of great stature to have died (or anyone to die too close to the Priderock; having dead bodies around your home-den isn't exactly cozy). So we took all the deceased there and piled them up within the cave, lion and hyena alike..."

"In death side by side, huh? Was there something special about that place; you told me the lions used it to entomb their royalty? Quite polite of 'em to let us add our casualties too, by the way..."

"I don't know why they used it as a royal tomb... I guess the cave just looked pretty: 't was near a stream and covered in all sorts of lush and green vegetation. If it hadn't been for the constant eerie feel of death that hung over the place like a dark shroud, it would have made a nice den, a nice green den. But now it's just a tomb, a ghastly mass grave..."

"I see..." Vincent smiled mysteriously.

"Sir... why did you want to know where we brought the... deceased?" Shetani asked, intrigued by Vincent's highly inappropriate smile.

"Isn't it obvious? I want you to take our treacherous friends there."

"But Vincent, your not actually planning on... oh Spirits..." Banzaï gasped.

"Relax, I'm not going to execute them! But _they_ don't need to know that… It's just to scare them a little, it'll be hilarious!" Vincent grinned, offending Banzaï again, "You've really lost your sense of humor, haven't you? Anyhow, Shetani, after you've passed by where the carcasses lie piled up, take our treacherous friends east. Let them go free after a couple of miles, and tell them to keep going east 'till they reach a river-crossing. There'll be four other of them traitors waiting for them there. Whatever they do from there on... I don't really care, as long as they keep their filthy paws off our lands. They, and their offspring if need be, should consider themselves banished until further notice. Got all that?"

"Got it, sir," Shetani nodded. Quite frankly, she was indeed surprised Vincent had decided not to kill the whole lot of 'em. For the better: things were brutal enough already without having to add yet another massacre to the mix. As Shetani considered Vincent's decision already rather merciful, she was pretty surprised when Banzaï reacted in shock.

"Wait... there are four more traitors? You mean to tell me more than ten of our clanmembers tried killing you?"

"Not exactly... as a matter of fact, only Kali and Kiuma down there actually tried killing me, them and those four guys on the other side of the river I spoke of. And Umwa of course, but Shatani told me she has already died in the battle; how convenient. As for the rest of the group on the plaza... well, seeing as all traitors could be traced back to the tree most prominent Westclan-families, I decided it be best if we just got rid of the whole lot of 'em, regardless of whether their guilt is proven..."

"What?" Banzaï gasped, "You can't be serious! You mean most of those hyenas down there had nothing to do with..."

"Probably not, but you can't be too sure these days; better safe than sorry. And the fate of those few families serve a great example for the remaining Westclanners..." Vincent frowned detached.

"Those Westclanners just so happened to have taken the bulk of the fatalities when they fought beside me this morning! Most of them from those three particular families!" Banzaï growled, disturbed at Vincent's distinct insensateness.

_Yeah, convenient, isn't it? Means less hyenas to exile._

"Look, Banzaï..."

"No! You listen to me! You can't just throw them all out! I mean, one of them is still a pup, for Spirit's sake! This isn't right... this isn't right at all..."

"And since when did you become the clan's conscience? You helped kill a legitimate lion king, you tried killing Simba when he was still a cub (on multiple occasions), and you aided in turning our clan over to Taka... I mean... Scar, bringing about our demise. And you dare lecture me?" Vincent growled combatively, "Let me tell you something, comrade, our clan is at war, and it has been for generations! This isn't about doing the right thing anymore, we passed that line decades ago, before you or I were even born. I'm just trying my best to minimize the damage... Not that it'll do any good now..."

Banzaï looked shocked and flabbergasted, staying petrified for seconds on end. Was this Vincent? But before he got a chance to respond, Vincent turned his back on him again.

"Sorry, old friend, I know you're not used to this, and I can but say that we should talk again real soon; I feel we've got a lot to tell each other. But right now I have to get back to my sister. I still have some stuff I have to go through with her. Later."

Leaving behind an upset and confused Banzaï (not to mention the rest of his clan), Vincent walked back into the cave where his sister, and the lion cubs, were still being held. Leaving Banzaï upset like that made Vincent feel pretty bad, but so did most other things he had done that night. Sometimes you just have to do the one thing that doesn't feel right.  
As he went over to Shenya, Vincent asked Shetani to come along, just in case. He quickly noticed the two guards he had posted near the exit to protect Tiko, and keep Shenya static.  
Tiko appeared in between the guards.

"Ha, there you are. You're done informing Shenya?"

"Yes, you could say that…" Tiko frowned unaccustomed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You remember when you said she might not really take the death of that guy called 'Seko' too well?" Tiko asked, followed by a confirmative nod from Vincent, "Well, it turns out she didn't just take it not-well, but also collapsed when I gave her the news…"

"What'd you expect, they were lovers… and accomplices…" Vincent shrugged.

"I expected a violent outburst, for one," Tiko replied, "But she just bowed through her knees and fell on the ground. Hasn't spoke a word or moved a muscle since…"

"Sounds like overreacting to me," Vincent mumbled as slowly walked further into the cave. He quickly noticed Shenya, curled up on the rock floor. The lion cubs sat a bit further, huddled together, a bit frightened after all the sudden commotion. Vincent moved closer to his sister.

"Shenya?"

"Go away!" he could hear her sob, though he couldn't actually see her eyes to confirm if she was really crying.

"So I take it you heard about Seko..."

"You killed him…" Shenya whispered effortful, still concealing her face.

"I won't deny it. Yes I killed him. But he left me little choice…  
Whether you were in on the attempt to kill me, I do not really know, nor does it matter. In fact, as Tiko undoubtedly explained, it would exactly prove most opportune if you weren't involved. But of Seko I knew without doubt that he tried killing me. It was him or me, you have to understand…"

"What is there to understand?" Shanya suddenly shouted as she turned around, her eyes full of tears and her voice drenched with sorrow, "You killed my Seko! You… you… killed the father of my…"

"Wait, what did you say?"

Shenya looked up, directly at Vincent's face. He had never before seen her magnificent blue eyes express such vulnerability, weakness and helplessness; it felt like they pierced right into his soul. For a moment there, he saw not someone he suspected of having tried to kill him, he didn't see a traitor, he saw only the Shenya he had almost forgotten about: his big sister, stronger and bigger than him but nonetheless filled with just as many doubts and just as vulnerable at her core.

"I'm pregnant of mine and Seko's children… and you killed their father before they were even born…"

"Oh Spirits…" Vincent whispered, as for a moment there he reverted back to his usual self in stead of the cold and calculated ruler the events had forced him to become, "Sorry, I… I didn't…"

Would it have made any difference if he had known? Perhaps not… But Vincent imagined it would have made a difference, feeling guilty as a result; even he was all but made of stone. He tried reaching out with one paw to touch Shenya's shoulder, but a soon as he touched her, she backed away.

"Don't… Leave me alone…" she muttered, averting her weeping gaze, "Just… leave me alone."

With slow and troubled steps, Shenya then got up and made her way towards the lion cubs, who, oblivious to her pain, greeted her with enthusiasm. Vincent just stared, his stomach feeling as if he had swallowed solid rock. Obviously disappointed, he turned around, meeting Shatani halfway towards the exit. She looked confused at Vincents appearance, and even more so with his remark that was to follow.

"I need a hug…" he mumbled.


	13. Götterdämmerung

_**Götterdämmerung**_

"... And again, I apologize you had to miss out on my little speech, and for that unfortunate incident involving Kiuma..."

"No problem sir! Just glad to be doing our duty," the Graymane orated, inducing quite a few sighs with her fellow guardsmen who were getting pretty tired of her over-zealous behavior.

"Now now, there's no reason to start lying; you know that's just not true. Most of you'd rather be having the night off, getting some sleep," Vincent yawned, "That is to say, _I_ sure could use some sleep by now... isn't that right, comrade?"

"Spot on, sir!" one of the other, less responsible hyenas replied grinningly, greatly annoying the Graymane that was supposed to be commanding her. At least, Vincent considered, they had stopped posing annoying questions about what had happened to Kiuma, which allowed Vincent to stop the apologizing for what some had come to consider an excessive use of force against the hyena in question, and come to business.

"Hehe, right... but eh... I've got to be square with you guys, I didn't actually come here to apologize, or look at your exemplary work. I actually came to check on our captives here..."

"The one called Nala, to be more precise," Tiko added from Vincent's shoulder, "She's the pride's queen. We heard she was one of the survivors..."

"And that pretentious poultry is...?" one of the more suspicious guards frowned.

"Ah yes, sorry, I should have introduced him. He's Tiko, my new Legal Advisor," Vincent quickly replied, "You can speak to him as you would to me..."

"Right... What do you need the lioness for?"

"Not that it concerns you... but we considered she'd be the one in charge of the lionesses," Tiko replied.

"Whatever... Alright lions, you heard the bird, which one of you is Nala?"

"Who's asking?" Kani growled defiantly.

"The Hyena-in-Chief," Vincent replied laconic, stepping from behind the guards, into the lioness' sight.

"You!?" one of the larger lions suddenly exclaimed as if she had seen a ghost.

"Eh... yeah, me. Do I know you?"

"Don't you remember me? It's me, 'the Princes'..." the lioness replied, both disappointed but also somehow what relieved.

"Sorry lady, you must be mistaking me for somebody else," Vincent mumbled, feeling a bit awkward.

"So your not Mikhail the hyena?"

"Wait... you're saying you knew him? You knew my dad?" Vincent frowned.

"Yeah…I knew him. 't Was a long time ago... You look a lot like him."

"Yeah, I know... hmmm... this is awkward... what did you say your name was again?"

"I am Nala," the lioness replied as she lift up her head, obviously proud, "Queen of all Pridelands."

"Well, maybe not all Pridelands," a hyena noted ironically, inducing quite some laughs with his colleagues. For the sake of courtesy, however, Vincent chose to ignore that remark and not laugh along.

"Ah, so you are Queen Nala. Let me introduce myself: Vincent, hyena Head of Government. And he's Tiko..."

"I am honored to meet you, ma'am," Tiko bowed.

"What, _The_ Tiko? Zazu's nephew?" Nala asked in surprise.

"The same..."

"Well well... Zazu never told me of your new employer... but he did mention firm convictions weren't really your style..." Nala smiled.

"What can I say, hyenas need legal advice too..."

"Indeed we do. I am sorry to be so blunt, your majesty," Vincent interrupted overly polite, "but I am quite tired and would like to get this over with; I can imagine we'll have more time to chat up tomorrow. And seeing as you apparently knew my father, we'll have a lot to talk about too... But first things first: I'm releasing one of you."

"What?" almost all animals gathered in the cave shouted out as one.

"You heard me, I'm letting one of the lions go."

"Eh... all right... might I ask why?" Nala inquired.

"Well, it's quite simple really: I want to send a massage to your King. The only way we'll get out of this mess without everyone ending up in that Royal Tomb of yours is if we negotiate, and I need someone to convey that message too him. As I sign of goodwill, I decided that one of your lionesses could carry out that task, granting her her freedom while she does."

_As a sign of goodwill, and because I'm not too happy to send one of my own clanmates to his or her death._

"I don't see what there is to negotiate... you killed our friends and family, you stole our land! Again!" Nala replied annoyed and combative.

"Look, miss, I understand you must feel a bit bitter over all what has happened, but it's not like you've always treated us with a velvet glove either, all right?" Vincent sighed, quickly letting go of his politeness in the face of a lack of cooperation, "Now, you can either face facts and let me send someone to negotiate so we can try and get out of this mess with minimal brutality, or you can just sit here with your stiff upper lip 'till your mate comes over to 'liberate' you and we are forced to butcher the whole lot of you."

"Oh yeah, you're his son all right…" the queen mumbled. She didn't seem impressed, nor did her fellow lionesses. Tiko quickly noticed they'd rather stay proud and stubborn than to face facts and go for a more pragmatic approach. Unless...

"Your highness, I know this must all feel rather insulting, humiliating even; if I had been in your stead, I wouldn't be anxious to make dealings either. But there are still a whole lot of cubs up there, in the main den, maybe it'd be best if you focused on their best interests..." the green hornbill silently suggested. Nala seemed rather insulted at that remark (which sounded more like a threat), and Kani could be heard muttering all sorts of profanities in the background. But even though Nala was appalled by Tiko's suggestion, she feared he was right nonetheless; she had no choice but to agree with Vincents proposal, for the cubs' sake.

"All right, you win... I have no choice... you want me to head over to Simba and break the news to him?" Nala whispered eventually, and it was pretty obvious she didn't feel all to well in having to do so.

"You? Spirits, no! My goodwill only goes so far, you know..." Vincent grinned, "Besides, you look too mangled, I need someone in good shape. Just pick one of your lionesses to do the job in your stead. And do make sure you make the right pick; sending back a warmonger won't get you anywhere, save in the Royal Tomb."

Well, that ruled out Kani, Nala argued as she felt very annoyed at the arrogant tone Vincent was taking. But there was one lioness who fitted the profile almost perfectly: Anana. She was pretty much the antithesis of a warmonger. Besides, getting her away from here would be for her own good: if she stayed to endure Kani's insults a while longer, she'd probably break down completely (if such hadn't already been the case).

"All right, release Anana, she's nice enough..." Nala suggested. Kani suddenly broke out in laughter.

"What, you can't be serious? You're letting her, of all lionesses, the traitor, go?" she chuckled cynically.

"You've got a problem with that, Kani?"

"Hey, the quicker I'm rid of her, the better! I'm just afraid that if she meets Simba, she won't exactly be talking for all of us... only for the ones of us that tend to befriend scruffy scavengers. But I can imagine you won't mind that, now will you, my dearest queen?" Kani sneered, reffing to Nala just having admitted she knew Vincent's father. Nala, however, chose to ignore Kani from here on, turning back to Vincent.

"She's the young lioness in the corner of the cave, over there..."

"Ah... I take it your friend over there doesn't like her, is that why she's been put apart?" Vincent asked as he looked at the lioness in the corner of the cave.

"Pretty much. Will you release her now?"

"Sure. What did you say her name was, Anana? Right, Anana, I'm letting you go free, are you okay with that?"

Anana just nodded, although she didn't seem at all convinced: she was still upset because of her argument with the rest of her pride (mostly Kani). Vincent didn't seem too enthusiast about her reaction, but as he was tired and thus decided to hasten things up a bit.

"All right, works fine for me. Shatani, take that lioness back there with us!"

Immediately, Shatani and a handful of her Graymanes appeared in the cave to escort Vincent and Anana out. Whilst Anana was lead out, Kani managed to insult her one last time as her way of saying goodbye. Meanwhile, Vincent nodded one last time at Nala.

"Right. Thanks for your cooperation, highness. I'll get back to you for more talking as soon as my duties permit it. Goodnight."

"Your highness," Tiko also saluted just before leaving. Nala limited her response to a brief nod, still surprised to see Zazu's nephew here, especially around his new 'friends'.  
The group escorting Anana quickly hurried out of the cave, down to the plaza and finally onto the open Pridelands. Standing just outside of Priderock, Vincent ordered his company to halt and turned to Anana. Seeing her sit in the dry grasses, he couldn't help but notice she looked a bit like Vitani; she had the same outlandish characteristics of a different fur and a way sleeker built than the rather bulky Pridelanders.

"Alright, this is far enough... How are you, Anana?"

"I've been better," she whispered for the second time that day.

"Well, look at it from the bright side, at least you're out. Now, as I said I need you to transfer a message to Simba. You know where he is now, and how to get there?"

"Yes, he's at the northern den, with prince Kovu..."

"Excellent!" Tiko continued in Vincent's stead, "Now try remembering this, Vincent needs you to tell Simba the following, word for word:  
Through a chain of unfortunate but seemingly inevitable events, it has come to be that the Clan has taken control over Priderock and all lands surrounding it. Unfortunately, a great deal of lives, both lion and hyena, were lost during this takeover. Lion survivors remain, however, and they are being held captive by the Clan, receiving a fair and decent treatment. They have not been harmed in any way, although most suffer from various battle-related injuries. Among these survivors are Nala, Queen of all Pridelands, and all of the Pride's most junior members. Although our claims on these lands as well as our cause is just, the Clan is willing and even pleading, to start civilized negotiations on a fair and equal basis, to avoid further needles loss of life. Through these negotiations, we, the Clan, are hoping to reach a fair and balanced conclusion concerning the ongoing territorial and legal disputes between our two Clans/Prides, once and for all eliminating the threat of new violent clashes over these issues, allowing our two Clans/Prides to co-exist on a peaceful but most of all equal basis... you got that?"

"The essence of it," Anana coolly replied.

"And what might the essence be?" Vincent asked yawningly.

"Because of reasons that don't concern us, you stumbled into a war and took Priderock almost by accident. You didn't want a war, and you didn't want Priderock, but now that you've got it, you're not planning on giving it (along with some hostages you made along the way) back until Simba coughs up a exuberant amount of land and recognizes you and your clan as equals, in stead of treating you like vermin that is best exterminated," Anana thoroughly summarized.

"Clever girl!" Vincent grinned satisfied, and a bit surprised too: it seemed this timid lioness had some linguistic skill in her after all, "Nala obviously handed me the right material in sending you... now, for the practical issues... Shetani, where do you suggest we stage the meeting for these negotiations?"

"There's a dried-up river separating our part of the Pridelands from theirs, I say we do it there. It also minimizes the threat of an ambush, as the whole dried riverbed is apparently infertile and thus empty; any unwelcome newcomer is thus clearly visible, especially if we pick the widest part of that dried-up river..." Shetani suggested, as she had in, contrast with Vincent, a very thorough knowledge of the surroundings.

"You mean the Golden River?" Anana asked.

"If that is what you mean by the dried-up river north of here: yes, the Golden River."

"All right, sounds good enough. Tell Simba I'll meet him at the widest part of the Golden River, at next sundown (that ought to give me some time to sleep). Also tell him to only bring as much company as is required for a negotiation..."

"You know he'll just bring the whole pride," Tiko noted.

"There's no harm in asking. Besides, So will I... Anyway, next sundown, at the widest part of the Golden River, you got that, Anana?" Vincent concluded.

"Pretty much..."

"All right, then you're off!"

"So… I can go now?"

"Yes... or no, wait," Vincent suddenly hesitated, "Do you know a lioness called Vitani?"

"Sure, everyone does; she's Kovu's sis, after all..." Anana replied, confused at the sudden change in Vincent's tone and look in his eyes.

"Right, right, I knew that... eh... if you meet her, and make sure you do, tell her I said hi. Or no, wait, tell her I eh... tell her I kinda miss her. Would you do that for me?"

"Okay... no problem," Anana grumbled hesitatingly, feeling a bit awkward because of the sudden shift in Vincent's behavior, "I'll tell her Vincent misses her. Anything else?"

"No, that'll be all. All right, you're free to go now. But do hurry."

"Okay then... bye, I guess..." Anana mumbled as she started hesitatingly walking north, looking back after every step to make sure the hyenas weren't coming after her (you never knew). But they didn't, they just headed back for Priderock. Last thing she heard was Shetani mentioning she'd position some sentry's (who knew Anana was coming, of course) at the Golden River to make sure Simba wouldn't retaliate by carrying out a surprise attack. In doing so, she unintentionally mirrored Kovu's actions, who had done just the same in sending Vitani and Enyi to guard the new border.

* * *

"Bah, leave me alone..."

"But ma'am..."

"No, bugger off! I'm sleeping..."

"No your not, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me. Now would you please get up? This is really important."

"So is my sleep..." Vitani muttered as she slowly stood up, blinking with her eyes because of rising sun. From the look of her face, it wasn't hard to tell her mood had reached a new low now that Enyi had waked her up, for some reason.  
Vitani yawned ostentatious as to show exactly how tired she was after the worst sleep she had had in years, then she stretched in a manner that is common to all cats, great and small.

"Now, what's up? And it'd better be either good news or very serious news..."

"We've coma across a visitor crossing the border," Enyi replied. Vitani just stared at her for a few seconds as if she were expecting something more.

"... and? Come on Enyi, I haven't got all day here..."

"It's a lioness, one of our lionesses to be exact. Says she came all the way from Priderock..."

"Yippee... She came all the way from Priderock as in 'I am a survivor from the slaughter that supposedly took place at Priderock' or as in 'false alarm, there are no hyenas at Priderock and it was all just a nasty dream'?" Vitani yawned cynically, "And it'd better be the second one..."

"Sorry ma'am, she said the hyenas sent her. They have a message for Simba."

"Like hell they do," Vitani grumbled, "She's telling Simba squat. I bet Kovu hasn't even bothered to tell our good King his ancestral home has been overrun by his arch-enemies... Can you imagine the look on his face when that lioness of yours just walks up to him and casually mentions a hyena is probably sleeping in his very cave as we speak? And then imagine his paw on our faces when he finds out we've been hiding it from him!"

"Don't worry ma'am, my lionesses are keeping our visitor on a short leash until you have had the time to thoroughly explain the situation to her..."

"Ah, so you want me to explain the situation to her? Gee, how considerate of you..." Vitani frowned sarcastically. Much to Vitani's surprise, Enyi returned the favor with equal irony.

"My pleasure ma'am, always glad to be of service!"

"You know, Enyi, you should watch out with that newfound sense of humor of yours, it doesn't become you..."

"I'll go get the lioness, ma'am..."

_She may have taken a liking to humor, but for all else she is still an apathetic bore... And she still refrains from using names. Who the hell is that lioness the hyenas sent anyway? I bet Enyi didn't even ask her name!_

After a few moments, which Vitani put to good use to perform a much needed emergency-wash, Enyi reappeared, accompanied by another lioness much younger than her. From the looks of it, she was an outlander too. Vitani recognized her pretty quickly: it was Anana, the youngest of the Outlanders.

"Here she is..."

"Okay, I'll take it from here, Enyi," Vitani yawned, "Good morning to you, Anana!"

It was pretty obvious to Anana Vitani didn't really meant what she said, and that she had very little patience.

"Vitani," she briefly saluted.

"I'll cut to the chase here, if you don't mind," Vitani commenced hastily, "We already know the hyenas attacked Priderock yesterday. Don't ask how we know, that's pretty irrelevant, at least to you. But even though we have some basic knowledge on what happened at Priderock, we still lack most of the details. So I suggest you start by telling us the more important details of what actually happened yesterday, right?"

Anana, however, seemed to have some doubts about that.

"Eh, wouldn't it be best if I did that when we've gotten the whole pride together, especially Simba? I'm mean, not that I wouldn't want to tell you guys..."

"Yeah, about that," Vitani suddenly interrupted, "I forgot to add that when I said 'we know about what happened yesterday' I didn't exactly mean the whole pride but rather... a limited group including me, Enyi, Kovu and very few others..."

"Huh?" Anana replied a bit confused, "But why..."

"Look, I'll be frank with you: we'd have preferred it if we would have been able to bring Simba the news at a time that was... most suiting for that kind of an announcement... I mean, it would be rather blunt to just walk up to him blabbing 'Hey, sire, Nice day isn't it? Gee, sure was bad luck that some hyenas just took over your ancestral home, eh?'. You do agree with me on this, I hope?"

"Yeah... probably," Anana mumbled a bit wary; she was getting the feeling there was more to it than that.

"Furthermore, there are a few more things we have to sort out before alarming the king because... well... eh... that hyena attack didn't exactly occur spontaneous, you know..."

"Wait a minute, you don't mean that..."

"I mean to say that Kovu had planned to, after a minor incident involving some hyenas, do some dealings with the hyenas behind Simba's back," Vitani reluctantly admitted, "If Simba found that out, he wouldn't exactly be amused, I reckon, especially not if word got out that those dealings indirectly caused the hyena attack..."

"What?" Anana gasped in shock.

"I mean, it's less sever than it sounds. It's just that when I was over there negotiating (by the way, Simba thought I was away to be spying, another thing we'd like to keep under wraps), some hyenas chose to topple their leader and blame it on me, a lion, thus setting the hyena clan on a path to war... and to Priderock..."

"You mean to say you are the cause of the hyena attack?"

"No, not at all! I mean, if any other lion had been sent to talk with them, it would have turned out pretty much the same way..." Vitani mumbled in her own defense, "But it is true that if Kovu hadn't sent anyone over there to cut some deals, the hyena attack wouldn't have occurred as it has now..."

"But it probably would have occurred eventually," Enyi quickly added.

"Sounds like a whole lot of excuses to me," Anana grumbled, "You're going through a great deal of trouble to save your own skin here... and you expect me to lie for you too? For the Kings' sake, we just lost half our pride, Vitani! And if it turns out you had anything to do with that..."

"But that's the whole point," Vitani interrupted, sounding quite annoyed by now because of Anana's lack of cooperation, "I didn't have anything to do with it! But we just don't want Simba to be getting the wrong ideas here..."

"Sorry, Vitani. I mean, I like you, your a good friend, but you can't just ask of me to lie to our King for you, that's wrong of you."

"But..." Vitani wanted to reply, when she was suddenly cut short by Enyi.

"Anana, you do realize that your attitude could get Kovu in a lot of trouble?" she asked, taking a very serious tone, almost threatening.

"Oh... right, he wanted to cut a deal with the hyenas," Anana remembered, "Yeah, but..."

"So you say you are willing jeopardize your own King's position?" Enyi snapped.

"But Kovu isn't a k..."

"Anana, are you an Outlander? Well, are you? Answer me!" Enyi suddenly growled.

"Yes, I am!" Anana replied, startled at Enyi's sudden outburst.

"And who is our King, Anana? Who is the King of the Outlanders?"

"Well... eh... it's Kovu..."

"Who is your King, Anana? Tell me, who is your King?" Enyi relentlessly continued, as if she hadn't even heard Anana's first answer.

"Kovu!"

"Who is your king?"

"Kovu's my king!"

"And do you want to betray your king, Anana? Do you want to betray the King of the Outlanders?"

"No, I don't!" the young lioness shouted back, sounding both scared and outraged at the same time.

"Are you a traitor, Anana?" Enyi growlingly asked. Without knowing it, she had stuck a chord with that remark: it instantly brought Anana back to the cave at the Priderock where she had, during her detention, had to endure an endless stream of insults, suggestions and accusations of her being a traitor. Failing to differentiate between what had happened in the cave and the present situation, Anana found herself wanting nothing more than to dismiss those false rumors of her being a traitor of any sort.

"No! I am no traitor! Don't you dare calling me that!" she shouted.

"Well then, are you loyal to your king, are you loyal to Kovu?"

"Yes! I am not a traitor," the young lioness firmly stated.

"If you want to serve your king then, if you want to serve Kovu, you'll have to do as we say. Remember, we're all doing this for our king; for Kovu, King of the Outlanders; it's his skin we're saving here. We couldn't care less about our own reputation. Got it?"

"All right... I think I understand now..."

Behind Anana's back, Vitani signaled Enyi she was quite impressed by her performance; thumbs up! After that little round of convincing, it wasn't hard to persuade Anana she had to tell whatever it was she had to say to Vitani, Enyi and Kovu first, in stead of walking right to Simba, as she had previously envisioned.

"Okay, now that we've got that over with... now, about that info we needed... first of all, how many of us actually survived the battle? What happened to the survivors?"

"We've been beat up pretty bad: only me, the queen and about five others remain. Except for me, all other survivors were badly injured..."

"Ah, some good new at last! Nala's still alive! And what about the others? I don't suppose anyone is missing?"

"No, I'm sorry," Anana whispered, "We're the only ones left: Nala had gotten the chance to identify all the deceased before they were taking to the Royal Tomb... All others are gone, no doubt about it."

"That is bad..." Vitani sighed, "And I suppose all survivors were detained? You wouldn't happen to know what the enemy… well… eh… man, the thought of it alone makes my stomach turn… what… what happened to the cubs?"

"Oh, darn, I forgot, right!" Anana suddenly exclaimed, "There's some good news too: they spared all cubs, each single one of them! They're all fine!"

"What? That's unbelievable! Great! Phew," Vitani sighed, clearly relieved, "That's something at least... I mean, you were the only Outlander near Priderock anyway, so now that you're here, at least I know all my friends are safe... Still, glad to hear the Queen and the cubs are okay; we might still be able to resolve this as long as they're around. I don't even want to imagine how Simba (or Kiara, for that matter) would react if we told him Nala was gone... Now, one more thing. About the hyenas..."

"Oh right, I almost forgot!" Anana suddenly interrupted, "There was this big-shot hyena asking about you..."

"Really? Who?"

"I think his name was Vincent..."

"Really? So he made it to Priderock?" Vitani eagerly questioned.

"Yeah, that's the least you can say..."

"How do you mean?"

"He didn't exactly make a quiet entrance... As soon as he appeared, the hyena clan seemed to fall apart in two groups... And one of those groups got it really bad..."

Anana could still feel her stomach turn when she remembered what had happened to that poor hyena called Kiuma that had tried helping her. She still couldn't believe someone as nice as her could have done something so bad to deserve the fate to have befallen on her.

"That figures; Vincent was the hyena that got toppled in the coup I told you about, the starting of this war was supposedly about him. He was probably taking care of the idiots that started this whole mess. Good riddance..." Vitani noted coldly.

"I suppose..." Anana mumbled, not at all convinced of Vitani's outlook on things.

"Anyway… Vincent was okay?"

"Okay's a pretty modest way of putting it: from what I heard and saw, he was pretty much in charge, him and that corpulent green hornbill of his. Being the de-facto ruler of a clan that controls the Priderock ranks pretty high on the 'okay'-scale."

Now that Anana mentioned it, Vitani indeed remembered Tiko as having a rather _full_ figure when compared to Zazu, for example. She always figured it had been his feathers, though.

"That's good to hear. With him in charge, we might still get out of this without more fighting..."

_Or so I hope..._

"If you say so," Anana frowned, again not at all convinced: from what she'd seen of him, that Vincent-guy wasn't exactly scared of a little violence. And that had only been against his own kind… Then again, she still remembered the almost naïve look in his eyes when he had taken her separately to give her his little message for Vitani. That reminded her…

"Anyaway… He also wanted me to tell me that eh... he wanted you to know he… eh... he misses you... kinda... I didn't really get it..."

"Oh, now isn't that sweet?" Enyi grinned deviously, finding that corny remark utmost amusing, to Vitani's annoyance.

"I liked her a lot better when she never smiled..." Vitani muttered to no-one in particular, "Okay... that's good... that's nice of him... eh... anyway..."

Vitani was obviously embarrassed, but pleased at the same time: after having hit Vincent in the face because of the incident at the river, she wasn't too sure he still… well… liked her. But she was now sure he obviously did.  
Why that mattered to Vitani, seeing as her and Vincent were now part of two warring factions, she didn't really know. She just didn't like the idea of Vincent hating her, even though chances were they'd never see each other again, save for the possibility of encountering each other on the battlefield (something she desperately hoped to avoid).  
And quite frankly, she missed him too: she had after all pretty much enjoyed every moment with him, especially the cuddling at sunset whilst munching rotten fruit. It had all seemed so surreal, ideal even... the eternal enemies at peace, if but for a day… But that was all over now: she was back in the day to day reality of constant feuding between Pridelanders, hyenas, Outlanders and pretty much everyone else that happened to venture in between hem. But that was how things were, nothing to do about that. She'd just try making the best of it all.

"Now... hmmm… actually, that's all I needed to know... I guess I'll hear the rest once Kovu questions you; he's better at all this secrecy-stuff. We should get going; no time to waste. Enyi, keep a lookout here, " Vitani quickly concluded, "Make sure no-one passes the river unseen..."

"Why, you're expecting company? Your spotty admirer, maybe?" Enyi chuckled.

"Geez, turn dull again already..." Vitani mumbled as she and Anana started walking away from the still giggling Enyi.

* * *

Sometimes when you get up in the morning, all the world seems to smile at you.  
The most beautiful of sunrises to the east, slowly creeping over the scarce but majestic savannah vegetation.  
A lone bird uttering it's song of love, even though no-one is listening.  
A gentle breeze, rustling the tall grass.  
The lioness you cherish most of all things in the world lying at your side, her soft paws lovingly wrapped around you.  
Sometimes, when you get up in the morning, you experience the best moments of an entire lifetime, and best of all: you realize it.  
The worst moment in your entire lifetime usually follows right after that, when you remember that yesterday's sorrows have not magically vanished overnight. When you realize last night wasn't just a bad dream, but reality. When you notice your sister appearing on the horizon, and your loved one does so too.

"Kovu…"

"Hmmm?"

"Kovu!"

"Huh? What? Something wrong?" Kovu mumbled, his eyes still covered under a veil of sleepiness. Kiara didn't seem patient enough to wait for it to spontaneously disappear, however.

"Kovu! Will you get up already? Look, there's Vitani! Did you know she made it back already? No?" Kiara frowned suspicious, "For being worried about her so much for such a long time you sure seem to not care too much…"

"What? Vitani where? She's back already? Gee, what a joyful surprise," Kovu yawned not entirely convincing. It was way too early in the morning to start lying convincingly, certainly to Kiara.

"You're a poor liar, Kovu," she smiled.

"Tell that to your dad," Kovu mumbled, "Bah… where's that Vitani?"

"She's right there..."

"Right here, wee brother."

"Huh? Oh, there you are… I'd prefer if you didn't just come barging in here. Some lions are still oblivious to your return, you know."

"I think he's referring to me," Kiara guessed, "And why exactly is it a bad thing that I become aware of Vitani's reappearance?"

"A very long story. And it's to early for long stories," Kovu suggested.

"Come on now, Kovu, seriously now, what is going on? Where did Vitani come from all of a sudden, and why shouldn't I know?" Kiara asked again, now without a humorous tone to her velvet voice.

"Can't it wait 'till we tell Simba and he beats the crap out of me because of it?" Kovu grumbled ironically.

"Kovu!"

"All right, all right…How should I put this…" Kovu considered, "What's the last thing I told you that Simba shouldn't know?"

"You don't mean about… Taka?" Kiara asked a bit wary: she was still upset about the reactions she had got from Kovu in their first conversation about that rather touchy issue.

"No, no, not that… although we should get back on that sometime somehow… No, I was talking about our _other_ little conspiracy, the one _you_ hadn't informed daddy about yet… or so I hope," Kovu sneered, though it hadn't exactly been his intention to sound nasty in any way. It just popped out. Shallow end of the gene pool, probably. Vitani didn't fail to notice, and gasped as she heard the barely concealed reproach. That's not how she remembered Kovu and Kiara. Then again, a lot had changed in the fewest of days.

"Sorry… that… that was uncalled for…" Kovu apologized a soon as he realized what he had said. Kiara seemed to expect more apologies than that, though.

"Oh no, please, don't apologize," she sneered right back, "After all, I am just the one who's always followed you in what you do, who's always believed you and loved you, even if all others had abandoned and rejected you. I should be the one apologizing!"

From the tears to appear in Kiara's eyes, it wasn't hard to tell that saying what she had just said had hurt her more than it had hurt Kovu. And that knowledge, in turn, proved extremely hurtful for Kovu, who was for a moment stunned and unable to say anything.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" he stuttered as he tried moving closer to Kiara, "I just…"

For obvious reasons, that didn't suffice for Kiara, who had in fact been the principal victim of Kovu's ever deteriorating mood since that one futile but fatal hunting incident days ago.

"I think it'd be best if you just left…" she sobbed as she gently blocked his attempt to considerately embrace her, "You just go ahead and conspire some more, I don't even want to know about it anymore…"

"But…"

"Kovu, I think the lady needs some time alone…" Vitani whispered. Kovu reluctantly agreed, acknowledging that solving his 'conspiracy'-problem was arguably the first step to what seemed to become his relational problem. Or how one problem created another, after which both began to intertwine. What a mess.

"Thanks a lot…" Kovu grumbled in a rather hostile manner at his sister as they had gotten out of Kiara's hearing distance, "Just when things start looking up a bit, you show up again!"

"Hey, cool it!" Vitani growled back, "Take your personal problems out on someone else! I can't even count how many times I've had to put my life on the line these last few days, all to try and make up for your little plan that went haywire."

"Oh yeah, blame Kovu! Why not!" Kovu sighed, annoyed at Vitani, angry at the whole situation, and a bit desperate as well for obvious reasons, "Just blame me for trying to make the best of a rotten situation… But don't ever dare blame those responsible for the rotten situation!"

"Please, Kovu, stop it: this discussion is going nowhere. I know what you mean, and I know you're right. But face it: whether we like it or not, we too are at the base of all the current mess, and we'll have to sort it out, 'cause no-one else will. Now please, try leaving your personal problems behind you for one second and follow me, all right?" Vitani responded.

"Sort out this mess! Now there's a good one! The only thing I've come up with so far is politely asking the hyenas to return Priderock free of charge, or just come clean with Simba altogether and have my head bashed to a pulp. Neither seems appealing."

"The solution will probably be something in between those two, even though I for one think you deserve a good trashing. But my priority now is problem-solving, and you're the one to be doing most the work. And to help you with that, I've brought a friend of ours who's come all the way from Priderock."

"What?" Kovu frowned, "You mean a scout?"

"No, I mean someone who survived the battle to have taken place around Priderock, who was subsequently captured and then released by the hyenas as their way of saying 'let us negotiate'," Vitani smiled amused, "And that wasn't sarcasm, by the way. Meet Anana."

"Sire," Anana greeted, suddenly appearing from behind some bushes. Although Kovu had been more or less expecting a sudden appearance, it once again induced a short roar of fright.

"Aahrgh! Dammit, didn't I tell you and your friends to stop doing that? Do you _want_ me to die of hearth-failure? All right… easy now… eh… So she's the… the eh… negotiator?"

Anana nodded as Kovu tried recognizing her. After a couple of seconds, he finally noticed.

"Hey, but you're an Outlander, aren't you? I recognize you! You're that wee lass that took of for Priderock to learn how to hunt properly… Anana, isn't it?"

"That's me, sire."

"Always great to see a familiar face, of course… Hmmm… Good thing you made it out alive. I mean, not that I wouldn't want the others to get out alive too, mind you. But the more Outlanders the merrier, of course. Now… the polite thing to do would be to ask you how you are. But I think you wouldn't mind if we cut straight to business, am I right?"

"Whatever is fine by you, my liege," Anana bowed submissively.

"Now now, no need to get formal 'round me," Kovu frowned, "You're among equals here, don't treat me like I'm a king just yet. Now, could you please tell me what the hell happened out there, to the details, 'cause all the info I've got so far is sketchy at best."

As ordered, Anana started giving a thorough summary of what had exactly happened during what would become known as the Second Battle of Priderock. During her report, she also mentioned who exactly had (of the lion pride) survived and who hadn't, getting a clear sign of relief from Kovu when she noted both Nala and the cubs had made it out: their survival had more or les been the _c__onditio sine qua non_ for Simba's cooperation (or so Kovu hoped). During her version of the facts, Anana was quick to leave out any mention of her part in the battle, though, keeping in mind what hateful reactions it had produced before. Kovu nor Vitani failed to notice.

"And exactly what part did you play in all of that?"

"I eh… I stood right in the front-line, I guess…"

"Hmmm… You're quite lucky to have made it out pretty much unhurt," Kovu noted. Indeed, the only scratches on Anana's body where those she had gotten from the struggle with Kani and her accomplices. Kovu didn't bother to inquire further into the matter, though, as he wasn't really bothered too much.

"Good enough for me. Vitani told me you were released as a negotiator? So… what's there to negotiate about?"

Anana quickly summed up the hyenas' proposal the way Tiko had stated it, mentioning it had been Tiko's exact words, which Vitani found rather amusing, after which she translated all the buzzwords into _her_ version of the proposition, which was in turn pretty amusing to Kovu.

"Haha, vermin that is best exterminated! I should remember that one," Kovu giggled, "But seriously… those claims are, of course, unacceptable given the current climate… Letting the hyenas exist will be hard enough on Simba as it is, let alone give them some of the Pridelands and treat them as equals… still, at least the hyenas are willing to talk in stead of continue their aggression, that's a start. But one problem remains: Simba. If we inform him on the current situation, he'll do two things: break all four of my paws and exile me, after which he'll round up all of what remains of our Pride to try and retake Priderock by force…"

"I doubt it," Vitani replied, to Kovu's surprise.

"Huh?"

"I mean, the retaking Priderock by force part: as long as the hyenas have his Nala, he'll not try anything; after all, Simba isn't exactly cold-blooded. But I am pretty sure you get beat up any way this turns out, though,"

"Thanks a lot," Kovu mumbled, "Still… we can't rule out he'll try using force. And I can't blame him; if only it wouldn't have been suicide to face the hyenas while they hold the high ground, even I would have considered a counterattack an option. I'm not really too fond of those mongrels myself…"

Kovu unintentionally cast a glare at Vitani, who then looked away slightly ashamed: she had to admit it, she had grown fond of one of those 'mongrels', and considered his well being one of her priorities.

"Then again, we have to face it: they beat us; we were too occupied with ourselves, allowing them to come out here and thoroughly trash us. The result is we'll never be able to beat them by use of force alone, and the logical consequence of that is that we have no choice but talk. And we can't expect to get Priderock back for just a pad on the shoulder and a friendly 'thank you'; we're going to have to cave in, give the hyenas something in return for their withdrawl. But, unlike me, Simba will never accept that."

"You're a lot better at summing up our problems than you are at solving them," Vitani yawned, as she had pretty much heard all that before.

'Maybe, but you're the one who's better at creating them', Kovu had wanted to reply, but he realized he had already offended way too much of his close friends and relatives, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Either way, you'll have to inform Simba sooner or later. And preferably sooner, because did I already mention the hyenas want to start talking this very evening, right about at the spot where I met Vitani this morning?" Anana suddenly mentioned. As she did, both Vitani and Kovu uttered an enormous sigh.

"There go our chances for prolonged procrastination…"

"If it goes on like this for much longer, I'm afraid I'll just forget how good news ever sounded," Kovu mumbled, "Right… guess that leaves us with little choice, now does it?"

"So you're going to look for Simba?" Anana wondered.

"Quite frankly, I would have preferred if you and Vitani did. But I have to amid, that would be rather rude of me. So what if we all went to Simba together? Sounds good?" Kovu grinned, deliberately and grossly enthusiast.

"Eh… No… What if _you_ went to see Simba, and we just hid, for a while?"

"Nice try, sis, but Anana, for one, will have to come because her message is, in fact, intended for Simba. And you have to come because I order you as brother and King. Now get going," Kovu smiled deviously.

"But you're no king…"

"Yes he is! He's Kovu, King of the Outlanders," Anana stated firmly, to Kovu's satisfaction. She hadn't forgotten her little conversation with Enyi. Vitani only muttered 'Damn Enyi', though it wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear.

"You heard the lady. Come on, big sister, time to, at best, let ourselves get beaten until the very brink of endurable pain."

So, as reluctant as reluctant gets, the trio set off towards the general direction of the Outlander's main den, where Simba would usually hang out most of the time he spent with his newfound subjects. Vitani had the urge to turn around and walk in the other direction quite a few times, but Kovu always made sure she stayed on the right path; he wasn't about to confront Simba all by himself (because chances were that Anana would be spared of most blame, which was only fitting, of course, as she hadn't been the one lying to Simba).  
Halfway to the den however, a lone lioness appeared. It was one of the three Pridelanders that had taken residence among the Outlanders as a means of keeping tabs on them. She seemed a bit upset.

"Sir Kovu? The King has requested your presence. If you would follow me, please?"

"Eh… and might I inquire as to…" Kovu tried asking, but the lioness cut him short.

"The King has very little patience, sir, I believe he is quite upset with you. I implore that we not linger."

"Uh-oh…" Vitani mumbled at Kovu, who had by now already turned pale behind his fur. It was pretty obvious, wasn't it: Simba had somehow found out what happened on his own. It would have been bad enough if it Kovu would have personally given him the news, but now that Simba had found out without Kovu telling him in person, things were looking pretty disastrous for Kovu. And yet the day had started of so well…

"This is bad, real bad…" Kovu whispered at Vitani, "Do you think I would make it out alive if I just made a run for it now?"

"Not likely. You'll have to bite the bullet."

"By that, you of course mean _we_…"

"Please, don't remind me…"

With their mood now dangerously close to point-zero, Kovu, Vitani and Anana kept following he other lioness. Everyone had a bad feeling concerning what was about to happen, and that was only fitting.  
As they suddenly reached a clearing, it appeared things were even worse than Kovu or Vitani had imagined: not only did they meet Simba at the clearing, but pretty much the whole Outlander-pride was gathered there, sitting in a semicircle. The Pridelander to have been guiding Kovu and Vitani quickly took post along her pridemates, right next to Simba.  
From the looks on pretty much all of the Outlanders' faces, it wasn't hard to tell their gathering had been everything but spontaneous, I'd even dare say it was rather compulsive. Nonetheless, the current setting proved ideal for a genuine inquisition directed at Kovu, Vitani and Anana, in that order. Even Kovu, who was pretty adept at pretending to not-care-the-least couldn't help but swallow in awe and terror. And Simba's grim stare didn't exactly help either.  
Kovu's panicking eyes sought and quickly found Kiara, at the edge of the group. She looked both saddened and ashamed at the given situation, but as soon as she noticed Kovu was looking at her, she signed 'I didn't have anything to do with this, I swear!'. Kovu wasn't too inclined to believe her. Meanwhile, Vitani looked around for a sign of Rafiki and Kiruhu, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"I presume you know what this is about?" Simba suddenly asked with his calm yet powerful and charismatic voice. Kovu felt like shriveling to the size of a mere ant. Talking about awkward…

"Eh… yeah… spot-on presumption…"

"Nice to see Vitani has returned as well, by the way…"

Vitani just grinned silly and deemed it an absolute must not to say anything unless asked.

"I suppose her _scouting_ duty is over then…"

No-one could really tell whether that had been ironic or serious, but Kovu and Vitani presumed it had been a classical case of suppressed-rage-sarcasm; Simba was covering up his suppressed rage with a fake smile, a critical tone and hard-hitting sarcasm.  
A long silence, long in relative terms, ensued. And as much as he'd have hoped to postpone the verbal clash that was about to follow, Kovu considered this particular wait even worse than what was to follow. He decided he'd just try and get it all over with quickly.

"Sire… what is this all about?" he uttered barely audible, feeling as if his throat had been pressed shut.

"I was hoping you'd tell me… after all, you've been the one to be occupied with all sorts of dealings and hedgings behind my back," Simba replied without the faintest hint of emotion, "Or did you think I wouldn't notice? I'm warning you, don't take me for a fool, Kovu…"

"Then what is it you want of me?"

"The truth. I've been hearing all sorts of things, shocking facts… but I have to separate fact from fiction, for both our sakes. I'm eager to hear your version of the story…"

"I wouldn't know where to start," Kovu admitted. He had already come to face the fact he'd have to confess everything to Simba now; any further delay would probably just complicate things further. Still, he'd have tried avoiding it if he could.

"Why don't you start by telling me how it came to be that you sent Vitani up north for what you called a scouting mission, and make your way down from there…" Simba suggested. Kovu remained unable to read anything in the king's facial expressions, so could only he guess what the king's mood was.

"Well… let's just say she didn't exactly gone scouting… you see, the night before, there had been this little incident…" Kovu started explaining carefully. After having mentioned the so called 'hunting incident' and his decision to send Vitani to the Wastelands to try and appease the hyenas, Kovu paused for a second, allowing Simba to absorb the new information. He was by now more or less expecting the first reproaches, but Simba remained surprisingly calm. He just asked one or two questions to clarify some misconceptions, and then just asked Kovu to continue.

"Of course, it didn't stop there. Please, continue," he ordered. Just like that. No shouting, no fighting, no lecture. Just 'please continue'. Kovu didn't like it one bit, tasted too much like a deep breath before the plunge. Still, he obeyed and continued his explanation: Vitani (unwillingly) getting involved in a plot, sending out Enyi to go find her and in the end seeing them both return with Rafiki and the cheetah. Then, in what probably wasn't his best choice of words that day, Kovu concluded: "That's when things got bad…"

No response from Simba. He just sat there, looking cool as ever (while in fact, his heartbeat had elevated to dangerous levels as he started getting some pretty bad feelings about what Kovu was telling him).

"That's when things got bad indeed," the king uttered barely audible as his throat had gone dry, only barely being able to keep up his act, "I need you tell me everything…"

"Yes… Hmmm… I don't quite know how to say this… Lets take a step backwards first: remember when I said Vitani became the scapegoat for that assassination-attempt on one of the hyena-leaders by his subjects?"

Simba nodded, seemingly calm. The only thing to betray his anxiousness were his claws, scratching inches deep into the dirt.

"Well, the fun didn't exactly stop there…"

Kovu told of how the hyenas had vowed revenge, after which they had gone after the Priderock. He then tried his best to recount everything Anana had told him of the battle that had followed, up to the point where Anana had been detained. He mentions Anana's name quite a few times, trying to engage her into the conversation as well, but Simba wasn't bothered for anything but Kovu. Much to Kovu's surprise, each and everyone had remained stoic during his version of the facts, even Kiara and Simba (even though it would have only been natural if they had reacted somehow emotional to the loss of most of their friends, as well as their home). Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Kovu had mentioned, prior to describing the Battle of Priderock, that Nala was alive and well, which was of course the primary concern for Simba and Kiara.

"And… that's about it… I don't know what you've been hearing, but this is the whole truth (or as close as it gets to it anyway)," Kovu concluded hesitatingly. The awkward silence returned. Kovu looked at Kiara. He could see tears welling up in her eyes, but still she remained static; she wasn't moving or talking before Simba had said so. Suddenly, Simba spoke again, barely restraining his obvious anger.

"How does it feel being lied to, Kovu?" the king grumbled in the most menacing manner. Kovu shrugged instantly, as he didn't even get what that question was all about. But Simba was quick to clarify it.

"You don't know? Well, _this_ is what it feels like. You wondered what I had been hearing? I'll tell you: nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just became aware you were up to something; even a fool could have noticed that. But I didn't have a clue what it was about. But then I just pretended I did, and you were eager enough to cough up the details, fearing someone had been ratting you out with a story that placed all the blame on you. I suppose I should be thanking you, for your own stupidity that is," Simba explained, still calm, but his tone just oozed with anger, contempt and indignation.  
Meanwhile, Kovu whished he could have one way or another turned invisible, as the whole pride's piercing eyes were directed at him in his moment of shame. Not that he hadn't been there before, of course.

"Unbelievable…" Simba suddenly sighed, "After all I've done for you, after having taken you into my pride, after having granted you your own dominion… And you still manage to betray me in ways I didn't even deem possible…"

He had a point there, Kovu couldn't really argue with that. Still, he felt like he should at least say something.

"But…"

"Silence!" Simba roared angrily as he started menacingly prowling around Kovu, "That you even dare opening your mouth in my presence! I mean… Aargh, this is simply unbelievable! First you lie to me, right in my face, time and time again… and then you, of all lions, try cutting a deal with the enemy!"

"Well, someone had to," Kovu snapped back, letting pride and his unwillingness to just sit there compliantly get the best of his common sense. This, of course, enraged Simba even further.

"What did you say?"

"I said someone had to…"

"Unbelievable, simply unbelievable!" Simba shouted, "You're actually defending what you did? You're actually trying to say that your actions, actions that just lost us half our pride, our ancestral home, our queen and our younglings to those bloodthirsty scavengers, were justified?"

"_My_ actions lost us half our pride?" Kovu grumbled rhetorically.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Simba asked as he halted in front of Kovu, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"From the looks of it, you already know what I mean…" Kovu sneered, "And you know I'm right too…"

"Kovu, don't…" Vitani, who was still sitting next to her brother, whispered in warning, as she could already guess where her brother was going at: in stead of trying to minimize his conflict with Sima, he was going to pull it wide open, bringing the past into he mix as well, the dark and always best forgotten past. And all that because of his newfound pride, the one that had caused a still lingering conflict with Simba about Kovu's parents, and the revised image of them that Kovu had started to advocate.  
And as much as Kovu had wanted to avoid an argument with Simba (as was happening now), he deemed finding out the truth (his truth) about his parents, Taka and Zira, and then spreading the word (if possible even rehabilitating their image) just as important. Vitani considered that a noble goal, of course, it were her parents too after all, but she was just having doubts whether this was the right time to bring it up. Her attempt to shut Kovu up was brutaly cut short by Simba, however.

"Don't interrupt us!" he growled at Vitani, "Your turn will come soon enough; don't think you're getting off any easier… you're even worse than your brother; at least he didn't engage with those skulking mongrels. But you… you still reek of hyena…"

Vitani just glared angrily, smart enough not to answer Simba's provocations. Yet. After one last stare of contempt, Simba turned back to Kovu..

"And you were saying?"

"Please, Simba, you asked me not to treat you as a fool, so don't play dumb," Kovu frowned, "You know damn well it's not my attempted negotiation with them that set the hyenas on the path to Priderock. Don't blame the final drop for the flood."

For the attentive listener, it was pretty clear what Kovu meant by that, and Simba didn't miss the hint either, as could be derived from the enraged glare he cast at Kovu.

"Don't you dare…" Simba grumbled menacingly.

"Come on, _dad_, we both know well enough who is to blame for what happened yesterday…"

"Don't you dare say it…"

"… it's you."

"Oh, this is good, so I am to blame?" Simba frowned angrily, creeping intimidating close to Kovu.

"You and Mufasa…" Kovu uttered. Suddenly, with an incredible roar of rage, Simba struck out with both his forepaws, hitting Kovu's head so hard he was thrown back, landing in the dirt head first. All the pride gasped in shock, while Vitani and Kiara immediately rushed to Kovu's aid. Meanwhile, Simba just looked down on Kovu with contempt, breathing heavily.

"If you ever dare insulting my father again…"

But Kovu, who declined any help from Kiara and Vitani, didn't seem impressed, even though bloody drool dripped down from his chin. He even mustered a deformed grin.

"Now, did that make you feel better?" Kovu hissed, trying to get up, "Your words couldn't quite cut it anymore? But I've still got plenty of words left, no beating is going to shut me up, _dad_. You want to know who is to blame for the hyenas attacking us? It's those of us that have always tried their best to exterminate them, to treat them as vermin that is best eradicated, those of us that always try our best to maim and kill them when we come across them, those of that keep 'em confined to living on lands of which we know cannot support them. It's those of us that, day by day, fuel their hatred and nurture their thirst for vengeance, and yet expect them never to raise a paw against us. Those of us that react in shock and dismay when they are treated themselves as they treat the hyenas."

"You're a despicable waste of breath," Simba replied in indignation, "How dare you even call yourself a lion, picking the side of that kind of, as you put it yourself, vermin that is best eradicated?"

"You are as ignorant as you are hard hitting," Kovu sneered, whipping blood from his chin and dirt from his manes, "I do not pick sides for them, I wouldn't even shed a tear if they were to disappear overnight. But I understand them though, I understand why they do what they do, and I can't blame them for it. They're not any less reasonable then we are, and will react as we would. So unless we want them storming Priderock every now and then, we have to stop handing them reasons to do so. If you want to make and live in peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. Taka saw that…"

"Ah, so the truth finally comes floating on the surface," Simba laughed ostentatiously, "So I was right, you are planning to thread in your parents' pawprints."

"And why would that be a bad thing? At least he saw this coming! Taka saw this coming more than a decade from now, he knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later. Why do you think he even bothered including the hyenas in his kingdom during his reign? The Kings know he didn't have to; his hyena accomplices could be counted on the fingers of one paw, yet he opened up his realm for their entire clan. And he didn't need them to enforce his rule either: for all the lionesses knew, he was a legitimate king after all; why would they oppose a legitimate king? He did it for the good of his own pride, that's why, to spare us from tragedies the likes of which happened yesterday!"

"Oh right, Scar's reign was one of peace, love, happiness and sunshine!" Simba replied cynically (which was against his nature, by the way), "Pity he turned our lands into a wasteland and almost starved our Pride, though, that was probably one of his lesser accomplishments…"

"Please, now you're blaming a drought on him as well?" Kovu smiled grimly, "Look up, Simba! Look at that beautiful sky above us! You see any clouds there? No? Gee that's funny, I could have sworn the raining season should have at least started one month ago. I guess we've got a drought on our paws here! But I don't see Taka around here to have caused it, now isn't that peculiar?"

"That might be, but the fact is Priderock has been lost to hyenas, that's reason enough for a drought," Simba mumbled in his defense, not entirely convinced of that explanation himself. Kovu had a point.

"Yeah, but I don't recall them being there one month ago. Face it, _dad_, droughts just happen from time to time, whether we like it or not, Taka's got nothing to do with that…"

"Not that it matters now, with so little mouths to feed," Anana suddenly whispered. Talking 'bout a cold and unexpected remark.

"Who the hell is she anyway?"

"The hyenas sent her to negotiate…"

"Did they now? Then I'll guess we'll talk later," Simba told Anana, "But don't think I'm through with you yet, Kovu. Quite frankly, I couldn't imagine how you could ever further aggravate things: you've been dealing with our enemy, caused an attack on Priderock, openly sympathized with Scar, a power-hungry and treacherous traitor to his pride, usurper, tyrant and murderer…"

"You make it sound as if all Taka wanted was to inflict harm upon our pride, whilst he just wanted to shield it from even greater harm, like we experienced yesterday. That took some sacrifices, yes, but as they say: you can't bake an omelet without breaking the eggs…"

"… but it's amazing how many eggs he broke without ever baking one decent omelet. And if you ever compare my father, the greatest king of our time, to an egg again, you'll live to regret you've ever been born. That aside, you've also lied to me on numerous occasions. If Zazu were alive to hear it, he would have agreed with me that each of those facts on themselves would legally be enough to get you banished…"

Simba suddenly paused, as to let his rage slip away a bit, taking a deep breath. What he was going to say next, he would say with enormous reluctance.

"But we're a pride at war, and I'll have to be frank with you: now's when I need you the most. That's why I'm giving you another chance, the last one in a long line of disappointments… I'm willing to forgive you, maybe even try and reason with you about your father, once this is all over. If you stick by me."

"Stick by you? Total submission?" Kovu wondered.

"No. I don't require you yield or bow, just that you support me in our pride's darkest moments, for both our sakes. Can you do that?"

"I could… but not for the prospect of a pardon, for I believe I did nothing that needs pardoning. But I will do all within my power to assure our pride's well-being. If that requires me to stand by you, I will gladly do so…"

That answer was of course utterly inadequate for what Simba was concerned, but given the present crisis and Simba's recent return to a state of relative calm, the king deemed it best not to push their conflict any further just yet.

"All right then. Now… our negotiator. So you were present at Priderock during the battle?"

After a thorough inquiry concerning the details of what had happened at Priderock (even though Kovu had already told him everything there was to know), paying special interest to what had happened to Nala and the cubs, Simba also wanted a detailed report on the time Anana had spent in captivity. She was wise enough to cut out any details concerning herself, though. Finally, Simba brought up the proposed negotiations, though he didn't seem that enthusiast about it. Anana sticked to the hyenas' formal proposal.

"Unacceptable and impossible," Simba immediately declined, "The only thing they can hope for is that I spare their lives, after which they pack up and disappear from our lands again."

"I take it that is your first counter-proposal?" Kovu wondered.

"Counter-proposal? It's my only proposal. They taka it or leave it."

"I could have guessed diplomacy isn't your strong point…"

"What now?" Simba sighed at Kovu's remark, "What on earth is wrong with that?"

"Well, first of all, if it is 'take it or leave it', they'll leave it, and nothing happens…"

"Not exactly. They take it and leave what belongs to us, or they leave it and we take what belongs to us."

"Very bad idea. For one, they have hostages. If we as much as wave our paw in their general direction, they'll kill the hostages. Or is it okay with you if Nala…"

"Absolutely not!" Simba gasped, "We can't do anything to endanger Nala!"

"Well, then I'm afraid you'll have to negotiate; offer and counter-offer."

"But you can't expect me to…"

"Yes, I _do_ expect you to. And so do the hyenas. In fact, they've already arranged for a meeting. Tonight. You'd have heard that if you'd have let Anana finish, in stead of interrupting her."

"Out of the question! Who do they think they are to invite me to talk? It should be the other way 'round. And that is if I were planning to talk in the first place," Simba replied, but his reply invoked an ostentatious yawn from Kovu's part.

"This is pointless. I'm going to meet the hyenas, whether you like it or not. Feel free to come along, though," Kovu yawned, after which he suddenly got up and started walking south. Simba wasn't at all pleased with that, as one could have guessed.

"What do you think you're doing? Get back here! Don't you turn your back on me!" he shouted, "I do not allow you to deal with those scavengers again! Get back here! I command you!"

But Kovu did not halt. In response, the three Pridelanders present at the gathering rushed towards Kovu and took post right in front of him, denying him passage. He noticed one of them limped.

"The King orders you to get back!" the most zealous of the lionesses growled at Kovu.

"Your king, perhaps…" Kovo replied laconic.

"Let _my_ king pass!" Anana suddenly shouted, to pretty much everyone's surprise. At the mention of the words 'my king', Vitani could almost see lightning bolts flash from Simba's eyes towards Anana. What blasphemy, calling Kovu a king!

"He is no king," the Pridelander in front of Kovu noted as soon as Anana had taken post next to _her_ king. But then, the most peculiar thing happened: another one of the Outlanders spoke out.

"She said 'let our king pass'," the lioness shouted, after which she got up and walked over to Kovu. Both Simba and the Pridelanders stared at her with a mixture of shock, dismay and anger. But then, another Outlander got up and walked up to Kovu. And another. And another. Pretty soon, all the Outlanders stood gathered 'round Kovu and the tree Pridelanders, their backs turned at a petrified Simba who seemed to be shaking with anger.  
Kovu grinned, satisfied, almost literally feeling the aura of power and legitimacy the lionesses around him created. He cast a superior smile at the three Pridelanders still sitting in front of him, who were by now feeling extremely uncomfortable. Facing them up-close, he suddenly noticed that one of the Pridelanders, notably the one with the bad limp, seemed to have a somehow deformed lower lip. A limp and a deformed lower lip, now where had he heard that before…

"I recognize you…" Kovu suddenly remembered, "You're the lass that got mangled by those hyenas, all them days ago. You and your friends were the one not to cause, but at least kick of this whole mess… I always wondered why an Outlander would ever bother to waste her time chasing after hyenas… but then again, I guess you guys weren't Outlanders… Now, before you find yourself at the base of even more bloodshed yet again, could you please move? Now!"

The tree Pridelanders, scared finding themselves surrounded by at least he triple amount of Outlanders, immediately backed away in the direction of Simba. Kovu turned around and briefly looked at Simba, then at the still present but obviously shaken Kiara.

"Are you coming, Kiara?" he asked in hautein voice. But Kiara, hardly even recognizing her Kovu, shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness and fear. This wasn't the Kovu she knew anymore.

"I'm staying with my father…" she uttered barely audible and with broken voice.

_Him I recognize at least…_

Kovu just shrugged. Not that he didn't care, it was just he had no idea what to do else. After having cast a last glance at Simba, he took of to the south again, followed in his wake by _his_ pride, by the Outlanders.

* * *

As Vitani saw her brother and her pride leave, she suddenly realized that in stead of just watching them, she should be joining them; she was the only Outlander left around Simba and his clique. But before she got a chance to join her brother, she found her path blocked by Simba, who towered out above her. She slowly looked up, hesitatingly and even frightened. Before her sat a lion who was abandoned, desperate, angry and twice her size (as a figure of speech). He crept closer to her. Vitani had wanted to run, but found herself paralyzed. His heavy breathing echoed through her ears, his powerful musk penetrated her nose. As his head moved closer, Vitani didn't even dare to breathe, let alone move.  
The eyes that glanced at her were filled with hate and contempt. Simba slowly moves his head towards Vitani's neck. For a moment there, she considered the option of squealing desperately. But Simba only snuffed, briefly recognizing the scent that was still present on Vitani. He then backed of with a scornful grimace.

"Repulsive…" he frowned, "Now get of my sight, _hyena_."

That one she hadn't heard before. First careful, but than faster and faster as the three Pridelanders left on the scene looked at her ever more menacing, Vitani took off, leaving behind Simba, Kiara and the three Pridelanders. Simba looked at Vitani as she raced away towards Kovu, then turned around with a long and deep sigh and stared at the ground in front of him, locked in silence. The three Pridelanders seemed a bit lost without further directives from their King.

"My liege?" one of them asked hesitatingly. But Simba didn't even bother to look up.

"What are you still doing here?" he uttered, his otherwise clear, powerful and charismatic voice now weak and void, "Follow _prince_ Kovu… And leave me in peace…"

Shocked because of the state of their king, the Pridelanders lingered for a few seconds, until Simba reminded them again he'd prefer to be left alone. They hesitatingly took off. Simba stayed behind, still staring at the ground. Kiara suddenly noticed little dark specks appearing in the dirt below him. Was her dad, the King of Lions, crying? She carefully moved closer, one step at a time, afraid to upset him even more.

"Daddy?"

Simba slowly lift up his head, which seemed to have taken him great effort. He looked at his daughter with reddish, swollen eyes and a face that spoke of helplessness and despair. The authority he had radiated just moments ago had all but vanished.  
Kiara had never seen her father like this, except maybe for the time his mother had passed away after a long and painful struggle against a disease even someone as strong as her could defeat, months ago.  
Not knowing what else she could do, she hesitatingly moved closer to her father and put her paws around him. Simba responded by in turn wrapping his paws around her, firmly pressing Kiara to him, holding his muzzle to her neck, now letting his tears run freely.

"Oh dad…" Kiara sighed with a voice of sorrow, as she too now felt tears welling up in her eyes and tightened her embrace.  
Somehow, their intimacy stressed their current loneliness, seemingly being abandonned by their pride (both morally and physically). And for what seemed like an eternity, none said a word, both lions just wept silently, holding each other in an attempt to find comfort. Eventually though, in a voice that still had a distinct taste of tears and sorrow, Simba spoke up, which again cost him great effort, hesitating, stuttering and at times sounding incoherent.

"Why, Kiara? For the Kings' sake, why?"

"It's okay, it's okay…" Kiara tried whispering, hindered by the fact she was still weeping, whilst carefully stroking Simba's thick manes. Her fathers chin felt heavy as he rested it upon her shoulder.

"I did everything I could… always… I always tried doing the right thing. I ruled the pride as best I could…"

"You're the best King a pride could ever hope for, dad…"

"I've always tried being just, being kind… I've always shown mercy, even when I shouldn't have. I've always been forgiving… damn it!" Simba sobbed, "I've even forgiven the offspring of the lion to have killed my father, even _after_ they tried to kill me…"

"No-one could have ever asked for more…"

"And all of it I did for you and our pride…

"You've been the best father a daughter could ask for, and even beyond the best king a pride could even dream of…" Kiara whispered

"And yet… it is my pride that is being held hostage as we speak, my home to have been overrun by savages… my… my Nala…"

Before having the chance to finish his sentence, Simba broke out in tears again, and Kiara with him. She had tried not thinking about it too much, but she had to face it: her mom was gone, held captive by relentless killers, her life only hanging by the thinnest of threads. Chances were Kiara'd never see her again, and there was nothing she could do about it, she stood utterly powerless. One would cry for a lot less.

"And now… Kovu has…it's just…"

Simba couldn't even bring himself to finish his sentence, and Kiara felt too upset to reply; Kovu's sudden turnover had hit her hard too, even though she had gotten way more indications than Simba (her increasingly numerous fights with Kovu for one) concerning the recent changes to have taken place within Kovu's mind.  
The more Kiara thought about it, the more she started to pity her father: he had indeed done nothing to deserve this; if there were ever one king who had always acted as he considered just, even though he had wanted to do just the opposite, who had always put himself aside for his pride, who had always striven to do the right thing, who had always shown forgiveness (even towards the worst of his enemies, Taka, who had slain Simba's own father). What happened to Simba today was uncalled for, unjust, unfair!

Life's not fair, is it?

After an eternity of sobbing under the scorching sun, both Simba and Kiara seemed to have regained their calm somehow what, which made them realize that they were still alone, and that life had just run its course even as they wept. In other words, whatever problems they had had before remained at large and needed to be confronted regardless of their mindset.

"Thanks, Kiara… I needed that…" Simba smiled with a certain sad undertone as he got up again.

"No problem, dad," Kiara smiled back, "I needed it jut as bad. It's good to know you're still the father I knew… and the father I've grown to love… but what happens now?"

"That, I am afraid, is not ours to decide…" Simba sighed, as he snuffed, "But then again… I don't think it ever was. What happens now, only the Kings of Old know…"

"Nah, I think even they have lost track of what's happening here…"

"Yeah, probably," Simba grinned hesitatingly, "We'll just have to take it as it comes along from now on… all my life I have done what I could, now I presume it is time for me to suffer what I must."

"You're not the one to deserve any such suffering…"

"I sure hope not… but I'm starting to fear the worst," Simba frowned, "But I try taking comfort in the knowledge that, in the end, the Circle of Life always restores itself…"

"The Circle of Life…" Kiara sighed, "I thought I knew what it was all about one day, but now… I don't know what to believe… You remember what that one lioness told about what had happened on our Priderock, all those dead, all that suffering? Where did that fit into the Circle?"

"I don't know… quite frankly, I'm as lost as you are. But hush, don't tell the lionesses!" Simba grinned, "But now… let's go look for prince Kovu…"

"You want to go look for Kovu?" Kiara wondered, "Even after what happened back here?"

"We can't just leave him by himself, can we? Our entire pride is with him. Besides, if he's planning to go talk to those scavengers, we'd better make sure he doesn't do anything stupid…"

"So you're going to try and talk to them after all?"

"As I said, I have little choice… anything to get your mother back with us safe and sound, and all other captives as well…I guess Kovu was right, in a way…"

"Dad…" Kiara suddenly asked, a bit wary and hesitating, "Could you… not be too hard on Kovu… please?"

Even though Kovu had shocked them all, Kiara's love for him still ran deep; it had survived one war, and if Kiara could help it, I'd survive the next just as well.

"That's easier said than done… but again, I have little choice," Simba shrugged with disappointment, "I need Kovu, now more than ever. And besides… What kind of king would I be if I just ignored the wishes of my princes?"

"Thanks, dad. You're…"

"Hush, my darling, save the praise for later. Lets first get back to Kovu and see what he's up to. Where did he say those hyenas were meeting him? Down south?"

Kiara cast a fond smile at Simba, and he smiled back with equal warmth. No matter what hardship awaited them, they could be assured of one thing: their mutual bond, which had suffered since the events of the Reunion, would prove strong enough to stand anything to come, and even come out stronger. And nothing, absolutely nothing, seemed to be able to get in the way of that.

"Come on then, let's go."

And so, father and daughter set out for their walk south, towards the Golden River, strolling side by side, close together, Kiara proud to be Simba's daughter, and Simba glad to be Kiara's father.  
Needing neither further words nor plans, they made their journey in silence, contemplating on the past and possible future events.  
I'd still take them some time to get to the Golden River (especially the widest part of it), even though they kept a steady pace. Along the way, they came across one of the three Pridelanders that still stood by Simba; the lioness had lingered behind just in case Simba were still coming and needed a guide. Knowing his way around his own kingdom, Simba obviously didn't need a guide, but he was thankful nonetheless for the company the lioness provided.  
After a walk which took them a few hours, they met with the other two Pridelanders at a small watering-hole, where the party paused for a drink. On a small hill in front of them, which was covered in relatively lush trees for that time of year, Simba spotted the rest of the pride, or rather Kovu's pride.  
Why oh why did Kovu have to choose a hilltop to rest upon, Simba considered: now Simba would be looked down upon all the way up the hill if he wanted to joint Kovu; how humiliating. But he cared less about that now than he would have before, as his previous confrontation with Kovu had proven to be a real and hard lesson in humility for the king. Besides, the small ensemble he had gathered around him (Kiara and the three Pridelanders) at least gave Simba a certain regal aura. Still, it wouldn't do his prestige much good, 'crawling back' to Kovu.  
But what mattered it: on that hilltop sat no longer his pride, but Kovu's; they had already openly rejected him, how could they ever humiliate him any further? After taking that into consideration, while having a drink at the watering hole, Simba reluctantly walked up the hilltop towards Kovu. Looking at Kovu, Simba found it hard to tell whether the dark-maned lion was somehow what remorseful of his behavior earlier, or still proud of it.

"So you decided to come anyway?" was all Kovu smiled when Simba had waked up the hilltop to come sit next to him.

"Yeah. If anything is to happen, I might as well have a say in it..."

"Even if that means talking with the hyenas? Well, glad to see you've turned around a bit..."

"Talking with the hyenas? I doubt one can go as far as to cal that talking," Simba frowned, "They'll probably have nothing to say; a whole lot of nothing to say."

"Well, at least you're willing to talk; that counts for something, I guess... By the way, they haven't showed up yet..."

"I noticed. Hey, they said nightfall, not late-afternoon," Simba noted, "That aside, are you sure they wanted to meet us here?"

"If not, I've put some scouts along the border: they'll alert us if need be. Try not to worry too much."

"Not worrying sounds kind of hollow if you've just lost pretty much your entire pride, land and most of all your Chosen Mate," Simba snapped.

"Touché," Kovu yawned, trying his best not to let his sympathy show too much, "Anyhow, I'm taking a quick nap; there are more than enough lionesses to wake me up if and when necessary... I suggest you do the same, until our spotty friends get here."

"I'm not taking suggestions from you just yet. I'm staying up…"

"As you please, _my__liege_…" Kovu replied.  
The way Simba and Kovu looked at each other, their tone, their choice of words… tensions were high, and it showed. Maybe that's why Kovu wanted to take a quick nap, to avoid yet another standoff with 'his' king. 't Was either that, or his lack of sleep he still hadn't gotten rid of.  
Either way, Kovu kept his word and sat down under the nearest tree for a nap. But before closing his eyes, he quickly cast a glance at Kiara, who was still sitting at the foot of the hill, near the watering hole, along with the three Pridelanders. It was obvious Kiara knew her lover was staring, but it seemed she purposely ignored him. The reason for that was of course just as obvious: although Kiara still loved Kovu with all her heart, she couldn't bring herself to face him just yet, not after his run-in with Simba; she wouldn't be forced to have to choose between her father and her love ever again, certainly not now, in the pride's hour of need. This didn't go unnoticed to Kovu, whose only regret so far had been that his verbal assault on Simba had somehow alienated Kiara. This saddened him, of course, but he took comfort in the presumption that, once this whole hyena-mess was over, most of the problems between him and Kiara would be too. That view was rather optimistic, even naïve, to say the least, but at least it came to show there was still more to Kovu than cold and calculated pragmatism, and bitter revisionism.  
With a gloomy mood because of the lack of Kiara at his side, Kovu closed his eyes to try and daze off. As one could expect in the given situation, Kovu did not fall fast asleep but in stead entered a state of half-conscious slumber in which past, present and future all seemed to intermingle. It didn't even take half a touch to wake him.

"Huh? What?"

Before Kovu sat an agitated Vitani, her blue eyes vivid as ever.

"They're here!" she exclaimed, nearly loud enough to be shouting. For a moment there, Kovu considered asking who was where, but he wasn't really in the mood for those kind of self-evident question. Considering Vitani had spent all her time ever since her arrival anxiously looking at the southern horizon waiting for that one scavenger she had apparently befriended, it was not hard to guess she had meant the hyenas had arrived on the opposite shore. With a ostentatious yawn, showing off his impressive set of fangs, Kovu got up, stretched his paws and turned his look towards the Golden River.

Ah, the Golden River… Neither a river, nor made of gold, the Golden River derived it's name from the fact it used to be a wide river, but had now degenerated to a yellowish (some would say golden) stretch of desert that sliced through the Pridelands, as no single drop of water had flown trough the Golden River for decades. Between one riverbank and the other lay nothing but hot, golden sand. What had once started out as a vivid and fertile river had one day, during _the years of Twilight_, turned into a river of death, a lethal stream seemingly breathing poisonous fumes. Now, the stream was gone, but death remained: no single plant would ever grow in the Golden River's bed, as it was still drenched in the poison that had once befouled the waters above. A strip of barren wasteland in the middle of the lush Pridelands. Perfect for a meeting: there were no places to hide an ambushing party in these dead sands.  
Kovu extended his vision to the other riverbank. On it, he quickly perceived a few dozen of brown and yellowish figures with the most irregular spot-patterns. It made them blend in well with their surroundings, and made thus them hard to see. Kovu didn't consider that a bad thing; for what he was concerned, the less hyena he saw, the better: he didn't really consider their kind eye-candy.  
The better part of their clan seemed to have gathered, anticipating that the lions too would have been out in force. The lions had indeed done pretty much the same.

"Well what do you know, they actually came. And they didn't storm us yet… maybe they actually are out to negotiate," Kovu mumbled, when he suddenly thought about Simba: the king had made his way on the hilltop too, and his retinue (including Kiara) had followed whilst Kovu had been asleep. They sat separated from the Outlanders. Kovu signaled Enyi.

"Enyi, could you please ask the _king _to get over here? We don't want the hyenas to think we don't get along, now do we? We have to look like one big, happy family."

Enyi nodded compliantly and strode towards Simba. Even from a distance, it wasn't hard to tell Simba became pretty annoyed when he heard Kovu, through Enyi, was telling him what to do. But because he could only agree with the assessment Kovu had made, he complied, be it reluctantly. Ostentatiously slow, Simba walked over to Kovu, followed in his wake by the three Pridelanders and Kiara (who still refused to acknowledge Kovu, by the way).

"Anything else you desire?" Simba asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, how 'bout a smile and a pat on the back every now and then?"

"A pat in the face is what you're going to get if you keep this up," Simba grumbled. As him and Kovu were staring at the other bank of the river, it suddenly struck them: they had no idea whatsoever where to go from here. The same seemed to apply to the hyenas: how on earth do you start peace talks with your worst enemy?

"Well this is awkward…" Kovu noted as he cast a quick glance at the by now setting sun, "We could sit here like this 'till midnight…"

"I don't see the prisoners anywhere…" Simba mumbled, "I think they…"

"Keep 'em out of sight as to prevent arousing us? Absolutely," Kovu interrupted, knowing more than well that hadn't been what Simba had wanted to say. The problem of inertia remained, however.

"Any suggestions? Damn, where is that damn baboon with all his wacky advice when you need him for a change…"

"You mean Rafiki?" Simba replied with a faint smile, "He's down there, by the watering hole. Appeared while you were asleep. I've already talked to him, bringing him up to speed. He didn't seem all that surprised though…"

"Well, isn't it nice being kept up-to-date," Kovu mumbled as he turned to look at the watering-hole. Indeed: there were Rafiki and that odd, short tailed cheetah of his, having a drink. Kovu quickly summoned Enyi to go get Rafiki. Enyi, however, who was pretty tired of playing Kovu's private messenger, in turn delegated that order to one of the other Outlanders. Nothing like a chain of command to get those pesky little tasks done without having to lift a paw.  
Rafiki, still using the cheetah as his own personal transport, made haste to join Kovu and Simba. One could tell from the fog in his eyes that the ape was still blind as a bat.

"Still no improvement in the field of vision?"

"To the contrary, I haven't ever been able to see things clearer!"

"Eh… you're blind. How on earth could you see things clearer when you can't even see them in the first place?" Kovu wondered, a bit absent.

"Haha, me blind!" Rafiki suddenly laughed, "I know what you are, you blind lion, but what am I?"

"Hmmm, this is starting to have a very distinct taste of pointlessness to it," Kovu frowned, "But at least this complete nonsense proves it is indeed you. Now, try making that insanity of yours useful and come up with a suggestion as to what to do about this stalemate; how do we start the talks with the hyenas?"

"A good start would be to turn your head," Rafiki suggested grinningly, and who was Kovu to ignore such hint? Both hopeful and indifferent at the same time, Kovu casually turned around to look at the other side of the Golden River. Nothing peculiar there, apart from the overwhelming amount of hyenas. His gaze moved to the golden river itself. Lot's of sand there, obviously, but also a lone figure that seemed to be making his way down to the center of the wide, dried-out river, where he halted and sat down. The hyena's most prominent fearure were probably his thick manes, and the green hornbill that sat on his shoulder. How peculiar. More peculiar was how the blind Rafiki had figured that out…

"Ah, a negotiator! They probably want us to send someone down there too. Sounds easy enough."

"Smart thing to meet in the middle of the river; that way, no reinforcements from either side could reach the enemy negotiator before his own kind could," Simba considered, "But still no sign of the prisoners though…"

"One step at a time," Kovu replied, obviously less concerned about the prisoners, "We'll get them back sooner or later. Let's just start by sending someone in to start negotiating the terms of their return."

"I think it's a bit late for that," Kiruhu the cheetah chuckled as he pointed towards the Golden River, "Look!"

One lioness was already making her way down, into the sands of Golden River, awaiting neither orders nor instructions.

"Aw, for the love of… Vitani!" Kovu shouted, both embarrassed and agitated, "Get back here this instant!"

"I think she's not listening," Simba grinned, perceiving the current situation as embracing for Kovu, and thus hilarious for himself, "But hey, what better way to talk to a hyena than sending in your own?"

Kovu found that remark not at all amusing, especially when he considered that the last time Vitani had been sent out to negotiate something, it had resulted in one of the bloodiest wars of the decade… Besides, what use was it to send out a negotiator who is not aware of the terms on which she is to be negotiating?

"Let's just hope she does more than just make out with that hyena of hers…" Enyi, who had been at Kovu's side almost all evening, suddenly noted.

"Enyi, next time you say something, try not making us throw up while you do, all right? Could you manage that, just for once?" Kovu sighed. Enyi's assessment hadn't been too far off, though.

* * *

"Vincent!"

"Hi, Vitani…"

"Miss Vitani,"

"Good seeing you too, Tiko."

Now what? Both Vincent and Vitani had been anxious to meet each other again, but now that they had actually met, they seemed to have forgotten what is was they wanted to say.

"Eh… Tiko? Could you… kinda… leave me and Vitani alone for a second?" Vincent suddenly asked after a long silence.

"Huh?" Tiko wondered, "Oh, sure. Just call for me when you need me again…"

"No, this place has got pretty poor acoustic properties, you won't hear me from back there. I'll just waive when I need you to come over here again, all right?"

"Fine by me. I'll eh… I'll just leave you alone for now, then…" the green hornbill mumbled, after which he took for the skies. Now Vincent and Vitani sat alone, with no-one around who could hear them. Still, their conversation felt anything but private, as they had the eyes of both their clans and prides staring at them from their respective riverbanks.

"We should probably be careful what we do; everyone's watching… we don't want to upset anybody…"

"Vincent, I couldn't care less," Vitani grinned, "The worst we could do is set a good example for the rest of them."

"Hehe, yeah, true," Vincent smiled, feeling genuinely good for the first time in days, "Spirits, it's good to have you back, Vitani!"

"It is, isn't it?"

"I mean, going back to the clan made me realize how much I actually enjoyed myself whilst you were around… and how much I missed you when you weren't."

"I heard," Vitani smiled, "That was real sweet of you, by the way, that message you gave Anana. I appreciated it. And I missed you too."

"You did? Really?" Vincent wondered, "I mean, you looked kind of upset when you smacked me in the face the other day – which was the right thing of you to do, by the way; I was behaving awful – so I was afraid you'd…"

"Fear not, as long as you stay yourself, you're the best company a lioness could wish for. It's just that you scared me back there, 's all. But I'm sorry I hit you."

"Don't be, I deserved it."

"What was it that got into you back there anyway?" Vitani asked.

"I don't know," Vincent sighed, seemingly a bit upset, "It's just… sometimes, when I have to take care of my clan it just feels like someone else takes over… But then when I'm around you… you're the only one around whom I feel like I can really be myself, you know?"

"Yeah, I think I get what you mean… Glad to have you back."

"If only it could last…"

"Hey, come on now, why the sad face? We're together again, aren't we?" Viatni asked when she noticed how Vincent was staring at the ground with a gloomy look. He looked up.

"That's just it… We're together again, but for how long? In front of me sits your pride, in front of you sits my clan; when this is all over, we'll just return to our respective clan and pride. You'll be just a lioness, me just a hyena. And in the given situation, where both our clans and prides have suffered so much at the paws of each other, I couldn't imagine how we would ever meet again without invoking their wrath… Maybe you were right, maybe we should have turned back at that river crossing to leave all this behind…"

"Well, it's too late for that now, so lets just make the best of it. Besides, what do you think we are here for in the first place?" Vitani smiled, tender and understandingly, "We're going to solve this, you and me, we'll sort this mess out, all right?"

"I guess so…"

"Come on, put some more spirit into it!" Vitani encouraged him. Vincent was still staring at the ground, though. She suddenly licked his muzzle, from his chin up to his nose. Now he did look up at her, clearly in a better mood than moments before.

"We can do this!" she reassured him.

"All right then, let's give it our best. Knowing that I'll at least won't have to face you on the field of battle makes me feel like we're halfway there already anyhow…"

* * *

"Did she just…?"

"Un-believe-able…" Kovu sighed, "Man, why can't I have any normal relatives for a change?"

"Yuk, gross!"

Simba just stared in utter disgust, the thought of it alone made his blood boil.  
There sat no lioness, but the most degenerate life form imaginable. To betray the Circle of Life, her heritage and her pride so, it was just… Simba couldn't even find words for it. His precious Nala was being held hostage by those abominations, and Vitani just… it was simply beyond belief. If she'd have been within the range of his paws, he would have probably stuck Vitani down where she sat. But for now, Simba tried staying calm, tried his best not to storm down towards Vitani and give her what became her for her most foul betrayal.

"What's the big deal, 't is not like they haven't done that before…" Kiruhu, who was still carrying Rafiki on his back, suddenly yawned. All the lions around him started looking at him with a mix of anger and disgust; quite scary, actually.

"We really, really didn't want to know that," Kovu mumbled.

"I'm sorry, young price Kovu, my apprentice still hasn't quite yet learned when to keep his yaws shut," Rafki quickly replied.

"What, so now he's been promoted form a fuzzy form of transportation to an apprentice?" Kovu wondered.

"Indeed he has…"

"I have?"

"What did I tell you about keeping your yaws shut?" Rafiki grumbled, "Being blind is the first step towards being dead, and it would be a crime of me to just let my wisdom die with me… Fast-thinker here is smart enough to at least get the gist of it all, I reckon."

"Oh yes, wouldn't it be a crime to let all that infinite wisdom of yours go to waste…" Kovu chuckled, "Your body might be blind, but your ego hasn't ever felt better."

"Young prince Kovu, … Cram it."

"Kovu, look, they're doing something again!" Enyi reminded.

"Is it something gross again? 'Cause if it is, I ain't looking…"

"No, the hyena is just waving at his pride (or what's it called, clan?). There's that green bird again."

Kovu could see the green bird soaring down to Vitani and her hyena, after which they seemed to have a small conversation. Then, th bird flew up again, towards the other hyenas. Now what was that all about?

"You think they reached an agreement already?"

"On what? The number of times they're gonna…"

"For the Kings' sake, Enyi, shut up! Would you please shut up!" Kovu roared, after which he took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the hyenas again, "I think the agreement might be pretty important… Look, the hyenas are on the move, or at least some of them…"

"Look, a lion!" Kiruhu suddenly shouted.

"Well if it isn't captain obvious…" Kovu wanted too mumble, when he too suddenly noticed Kiruhu was talking about a lion among the hyenas, not about the lions surrounding himself.  
There appeared a lioness among the hyena-clan! And another one, and another… Kovu counted a total of six, and each one of them seemed to be carrying something in between their jaws; small, fuzzy golden bundles. It were the survivors from Priderock, and five of them were each carrying a cub with them. Finally, some good news! It was hard to distinguish the lionesses at such distance, but Kovu was pretty sure Nala was walking up front. Simba hadn't failed to notice either, as he now anxiously sat at the edge of the riverbank, almost unable to stand any more waiting for Nala now that he'd seen her.

"Nala!"

The lioness in front of the five others, surrounded by hyenas, lift up her head. Because of the cub she was carrying, she was unable to respond, but it was pretty obvious she had heard him.

"I can't stand too see her surrounded by those mongrels anymore…" Simba mumbled, "I've got to go get her!"

"Wow, easy there, patience, _dad_," Kou replied soothingly, "Let's just wait and see, I'm sure she'll be coming our way. No need for us to go get her…"

"Good thing for them they've got my Nala, or I would have already let 'em have it…"

Meanwhile, all the lionesses, surrounded by a vast escort of hyenas, had already started hopping into the sands of Golden River (which took quite some effort as all lionesses were hurt one way or another) . It was by now pretty obvious they were about to be released.

"Now would you?" Kovu wondered, a bit wary of Simba's aggressive tone, "But now that they seem willing to just return your Nala free of charge, you are of course les inclined to eh… let 'em have it?"

Simba muttered a response, but Kovu didn't quite get it. He considered the fact Simba didn't seem all too appeased by the release of his queen and pride rather disturbing; if even that didn't improve his mood, the negotiations could prove to be rather… unrewarding…  
A small voice in the back of Kovu's head told him he might want to prepare for the possibility of Simba choosing not to talk but to in stead 'let 'em have it'. He ignored the voice for now, however, and turned his attention to the prisoners down in the sands of the Golden River.  
They had already advanced halfway, halting when they reached Vitani and her hyena. The guards surrounding the prisoners seemed to be gathering around the hyena Vitani had been talking to, whilst the lionesses themselves advanced further towards the riverbank upon which their pride sat gathered.  
Nala, however, lingered around Vitani. She even put the cub in her mounth in the sand so she could to seemingly exchange a couple of words with Vitani's hyena, after which she seemed to give him, how shocking, a pat on the back. Kovu couldn't help but smile when he saw the look on Simba's face caused by Nala's little gesture. After her little chat with the hyena, Nala picked her cub up again and headed for her pride.  
As soon as the last lioness had made it to Simba's riverbank, the hyenas who were now surrounding Vitani left again, probably to give her and her spotty friend some minimal privacy (minimal because they were still the center of attention, for pretty much all could see them). Kovu focused his attention on the lionesses to have returned, however, particularly Nala. First thing she did was turn her cub over to another lioness, after which she turned to Kiara and Simba. Kiara was of course overjoyed at the return of her mother and greeted her likewise. Needles to say tears flowed abundantly. Simba too was ecstatic at the return of Nala, though he still seemed a bit upset. And after the first few minutes of crying tears of joy, asking whether everyone was okay and recounting of how horrible Nala's experiences around Priderock must have been, Simba suddenly popped his blunt question.

"Say, Nala, I was wondering, what were you doing with that hyena just now?"

"Huh, what?"

"It's just… I saw you pause to talk to hyena, when you came over here…"

"I just stopped to say 'thanks'," Nala casually replied, which seemed to bother Simba for some reason Nala didn't quite grasp.

"Ah… I didn't know you started going around thanking hyenas…"

"I'm afraid I don't quite get what you mean, Simba…"

"Well, I mean, don't you think it's pretty strange to go around thanking those scruffy bastards after they butchered our pride? Seems pretty strange to me," Simba sneered.

"Hey, calm down, I just got back from captivity and you're already…"

"Nala, what was it you said to that hyena and why?" Simba suddenly asked in loud voice, shocking Nala, Kiara and all lionesses around him.

"What's it to you?"

"Nala, we've got enough trouble as it is without you getting friendly with the likes of them, now tell me what you said!"

"All right, all right, don't yell at me!" Nala hissed, "I just told him 'thanks for letting us go', after which he replied 'told you I'm not a bad guy, consider this a favor'. Then I patted him on the back and said 'you're a good kid, better hyena than your father was'. There, satisfied?"

"Better hyena than his father? I never knew you knew any hyenas…" Simba muttered, slightly disappointed and upset.

"Simba, during Scars reign we all got into contact with hyenas, like it or not, even me. Now can we please leave that behind us?"

_No wonder the hyenas beat us, all of my lionesses (even my dear Nala!) seem to have befriended one…_

As the argument between Simba and Nala withered down and the sun was in it's final stages of setting, Kovu suddenly remembered Viatani was still down in the Golden River with her hyena. He took a quick look. They were just talking a bit whilst sitting down.  
Nothing gross this time around, no licking each others muzzle; nothing worse than touching each others paw every now and then. Although it was of course nice that the prisoners had all suddenly been released, it didn't really look like they were trying to negotiate a way out of the current stalemate which would endure as long as the lions hadn't gotten Priderock back. Maybe Kovu ought to bring that to everyone's attention before night fell.

"Eh, _my king_, my queen… I hate to interrupt you but could we… resume trying to get Priderock back from the hyenas, for I am afraid the talks my sister is holding now are less than productive. Maybe send someone over there with specific directives?" Kovu asked carefully. It was obvious who Kovu had in mind to go bargain for Priderock: himself; he'd love going through life as the lion that restored peace and order to the Pridelands. And it would also give him the much needed prestige to give him that extra edge over Simba now that they weren't exactly on friendly terms anymore. Simba, however, seemed to have a radically different plan.

"For once, I have to agree with you: it's time someone told those scavengers who's boss, in stead of your hyena-loving sister."

"That wasn't exactly…"

Kovu didn't even have time to finish his sentence, for Simba already sat at the edge of the Golden River. He looked back to address his pride.

"So far, the hyenas have refrained from using force during this meeting, so I will say this: I shall not be the first one to lift the paw against the hyenas," Simba orated, just before hopping into the Golden Sands and strolling towards a surprised Vitani.  
It had only taken mere seconds for Simba to go from proposing someone walked over to the hyenas and actually doing it himself.  
Kovu was pretty much caught by surprise, and still had his mouth opened to finish the sentence he started before Simba had announced he would try holding peaceful peace talks. First thing he did after closing his mouth again was assessing the current situation: when the prisoners had been released, peace had still seemed a possibility. But now that Simba had decided to take it upon himself to lead the peace talks, Kove became less and less sure things would work out fine. What to do if things suddenly escalated?  
With both the lion pride and hyena clan gathered, any spark could light of an enormous clash, and Kovu wasn't too sure whether the pride would come out victorious if that clash were to come. Even if they would somehow win, their victory would be Pyrrhic at best. Then again, in the event of hyenas suddenly pouring into the Golden River, he would have little choice but to fight, for in a fight of lion versus hyena, Kovu would automatically become a participant, having to defend all those dear to him, like Kiara. Her well-being remained a top-priority, even if she momentarily chose not to acknowledge him, and if a fight with the hyenas was needed to safeguard that, so be it.  
Unless… suddenly, a grim but plausible scenario played of before Kovu's eyes. He felt ashamed by only thinking about it… but then again… one has to prepare for the inevitable… maybe he ought to make some limited preparations, just in case…

"Enyi?" he whispered.

"Sir?"

"Who is your king? Tell me, Enyi, who is your king?"

"Eh… you are, sire?"

"Indeed. And that goes for all Outlanders, I am their king, right? Me, not Simba."

"Well… yeah, you are…" Enyi replied with certain confusion. What was this all about all of a sudden?

"Well then if you value the word of your king, I need you to do the following," Kovu whispered still, his voice now cold, determined and calculated, "I need you to tell all Outlanders this…"

Enyi gasped quite a few times as she received her new directives, for they were both cold and grim.

"In those words?" she uttered, "I need to tell all our fellow Outlanders those exact words?"

"Yes, those exact words, and be sure to mention they have the obligation to obey them, no matter how hard they might sound and no matter how hard it will be to follow them, for not doing so could well mean our demise, our complete annihilation," Kovu replied with a grim stare.

"And the Pridelanders? What do I tell them?"

"You tell them nothing, for we cannot trust them. We can only count on ourselves. If, however, the Pridelanders value their lives and existence, most of them will prove wise enough to conform with us Outlanders, especially the wounded ex-prisoners, who will have little choice in the matter. Now, when you are done informing our sisters, I want you and some of your most trusted lionesses to go over to Kiara and…"

* * *

"Uh-oh…"

"What, 'uh-oh'?"

"That huge lion with his impressive set of brown manes is coming our way…"

"What?" Vitani gasped as she looked around. Indeed, there he was: Simba, slowly striding towards her. At least he came alone, that could only mean he wasn't out to pick a fight. Still, the thought of having Simba around her didn't really appeal to Vitani, as their last meeting had been rather… unpleasant… scary… creepy. Oh well, at least now, Vincent was with her (though she doubted he could ever prove any good against a lion as powerful as Simba). But Simba's appearance did mean Vitani and Vincent would be unable to work out a solution for the present standoff by themselves, though..

"Is he good news or bad news?"

"Neither… he's the King…"

"Ah…" Vincent mumbled, as he signaled his fellow hyenas he needed no help just yet: the sudden descent of Simba into the Golden River had nearly provoked a hyena counterattack (which was set to occur if Vincent's life ever came in any danger). But that didn't seem to be the case just yet. It came to prove how twitchy everyone was, however.  
From both sides of the river, dozens of eyes watched anxiously as Simba slowly made his way towards Vitani and Vincent. Everyone hoped no-one would at this point do anything stupid… would their hope prove idle?  
With ponderous tread Simba closed in, and Vitani moved back a bit, now sitting next to Vincent in stead of standing in front of him. The hyena and lioness now awfully stared at the king, as he graciously sat down before them.

"Vitani," he quietly nodded with certain reservation. Vitani just returned the nod, but didn't really feel anything for a verbal response: no matter how you turned it, Simba's mere appearance remained mightily impressive and even intimidating.

"And I take it you speak for your kind?"

"Good guess," Vincent replied, feeling very uncomfortable and puny around Simba, "And you are…?"

"I am the King of all Pridelands," Simba replied with certain disdain, "I rule over these lands…"

"Well, that ought to be enough 'meet 'n greet'…" Vitani noted, hoping to skip past all those formalities. Her remark, however, did not exactly bring forth the reaction she was hoping for, as Simba apparently considered Vitani's remark an insult.

"Do not interrupt me. In fact, do everyone a favor and only speak when spoken to…"

"Hey, hey, easy there, it doesn't hurt being polite…" Vincent mumbled, still a bit wary because of Simba's sheer size.

"I need no lecture in politeness from your kind, hyena," Simba sneered.  
Although he obviously took some offence at that remark, Vincent argued that he'd have to stand taking a few sneers; if that was what it took to ensure peace, so be it. His and Vitani's loved ones were more than worth having to stand that minor inconvenience.  
Vitani, however, who wasn't too fond of authority ever since the Reunion, and who had little love for Simba ever since their last (scary) encounter, wasn't just going to let that insult slip.

"If that's what you came down here for, I suggest you leave again," she hissed, "We're here to put a stop to the horrible effects those kinds of remarks have always fueled… not perpetuate this pointless war by never-ceasing insults as you seem to be trying now, _my king_."

"I dare you to take such tone to me again…"

"Come on now, that's no way to talk to a lady…"

"Stay out of this!" Simba snapped at the hyena, "You should be grateful to still be around after what you did to my pride, and my home!"

"Oh yeah, great way to be thanking him for letting Nala and all other prisoners go free of charge…"

"Thanking him?" Simba shouted in indignation, "I should be thanking him? After his kin butchered my pride and stole my Pridelands, my Priderock? Their release of the prisoners was just a conditio sine qua non for the hyena-clan's mere survival; now I might consider sparing them. But thanking them? Over my dead body."

"Un-fucking-believable!" Vitani suddenly cried out, "What kind of blockhead are you? Spare them? For the Kings' sake, it are the hyenas who are sparing us! Look around you, we're in a war, and we're losing badly; it's about time you start acting in concordance with that one simple fact. It is not up to you to spare anyone, can't you get that through your thick skull? You are a king without land and without a pride!"

Those remarks already got the lioness some pretty nasty glares from Simba, but now that she was on a roll, she wouldn't be put off by some gloomy stare.

"I mean, my mom used to tell me some pretty painful stories about Musafa's hardheadedness… but your unfounded pride and mindless stubbornness makes his pale in comp…"

Maybe it was the still lingering heat that hung over Golden River, maybe it was the unexpected feeling of hunger, maybe it was his relative lack of sleep that day, maybe it was the fact he couldn't stand any bad word about Mufasa, but probably it were just his nerves finally snapping after an endless day of shocks, fear, disobedience and the trauma of losing and then being reunited with Nala.  
Regardless of the causes, Simba did something he nor anyone else had thought possible in the given context, and worst of all was he did it not at all voluntarily: it felt as if someone else were occupying his body, a takeover by his own pride, hate and common annoyance over level-headedness.

"Don't you dare befoul the name of my father again!" Simba thundered, in the midst of Vitani's sentence, and already his front-paws had swung up to hammer down on Vitani in an unfortunate and untimely outburst of impulsive violence.

* * *

"My princes, my queen."

"Oh, hi, Enyi," Kiara replied a bit off-guard. Enyi could still see her trying to blink away a single tear. Meanwhile, without Kiara or Nala noticing, Enyi's lionesses discretely took post around them; as always they acted flawless.

"You look upset, is there something wrong?" Enyi continued, "And how is my queen?"

"We were just going over old-times," Nala replied a bit avoiding, "About how she was as a kid, you know, the kind of things I thought about when I was deprived of my daughter…"

"…and about what happened to mom just now, on Priderock, of course," Kiara quickly added, "I was just upset because I was afraid I'd never see my mom again, and now that she's here I cried out of pure relief."

"I can imagine. You're lucky to still have each other," Enyi noted as she turned to Nala for some more small talk, "Pardon me for saying so, ma'am, but you look rather…"

"Beat-up? Mangled? You have no idea! I'm still hurting all over; that fight at Priderock took it's toll. I don't think I could stand another one, not for some months at least. Unless my leg-wound gets any better soon, my fighting days are over…"

"Let's just hope…" Enyi had wanted too reply, when she was suddenly startled by Simba's booming roar echoing behind her.  
As if it were synchronized, she and all other lionesses turned their heads towards the origin of the sound. Enyi spotted Simba in the Golden River just in time to see his paws come down on Vitani, one on her head, one on her shoulder.  
Enyi gasped as Vitani crashed down in the hot sands, she felt her mouth go dry, and her heart seemed to skip a beat. But she hadn't seen the worst of it yet. For the blink of an eye, it looked as if Simba was going to leave it at that, doubting whether he should stay put or just get away from Vitani. In any case, he wasn't going to hit Vitani again; he hadn't even wanted to hit her in the first place. But the hyena alongside Vitani didn't know that, and after his initial shock and paralysis, his head lunged at Simba and he caught one of the lion's forepaws between his bone-crushing yaws, in an attempt to protect Vitani from further harm.  
The king cried out in agony as he felt his bones being grinded into splinters, and mauled his opponent with his free paw on instinct. His paw hit the hyena's chest with the force of a sledgehammer. Enyi imagined hearing the sound of the hyena's ribcage being crushed all the way to where she was sitting and turned pale behind her tanned fur: this was what Kovu had been talking about, no doubt. Although she should have acted immediately to comply with the rest of her orders, something seemed to force her to stay and stare at the fight unfolding in the Golden River just that tiny bit longer, as if mesmerized by its violent cruelty.

As the hyena still held Simba's paw (and the only way he seemed to be willing to let go was if the paw came off), Simba snapped at the enemy's broad neck and buried his fang inches above the shoulder, somehow hindered by the hyena's thick manes. But before Simba got the chance to finish him off, Vitani had gotten back on her paws. Still a bit stunned, she sprung up and launched herself at Simba in a desperate attempt to free Vincent. Her force and weight, however, made Simba fall over, and as he still held Vincent's neck tight in between his yaws, the hyena turned 'round as well, neck first.  
Seeing as he felt Vitani was more of a threat than the hyena, Simba tossed Vincent aside as soon as he had come to a halt, as if he were but a mere gazelle. The hyena rolled over once and then came to a stop on his side, his head tilted outward, completely motionless.

Meanwhile, the world around them hadn't just paused to look at the fight unfold, however, and both the lion pride and hyena clan had sprung into action.

As soon as Enyi had seen the hyena take a bite at Simba's paw, the orders she had just distributed among her fellow Outlanders at Kovu's request immediately came to mind.

"_I need you to tell all Outlanders this… tell them that they will not move, not even as much as raise a paw unless they are told so by me. Unless I tell them otherwise, they will stay here, no matter what happens or what anyone else tells them. They will listen at my commands and my commands alone, regardless of any circumstances, whether they seem plausible at this time or not. If they do that, and just that, they will live to see the next sunrise. If not, they are already dead. No matter who or what it is they would be able to save by ignoring this directive (with strong emphasis on the who), those things are futile when compared to what they would stand to lose: our pride and family, our legacy and even our very existence…"_

Now she realized what Kovu had exactly meant: if Simba's descent into the Golden River could somehow endanger his life, the Outlanders were barred from intervening; they would not come to his aid, in spite of his dreadful cries of pain and desperate calls for help.  
But it didn't just stop there, for Enyi had also received a set of personal guidelines: she was to protect Kiara, the love and life partner of Kovu, from any danger whatsoever, but especially from herself. Enyi had been told to keep Kiara at this side of the Golden River no matter what. If possible, she should also prevent other Pridelanders from endangering their own lives, but Kiara's safety was her top-priority.

* * *

Kovu almost _felt_ his pupils widening when Simba hit his sister, and he imagined hearing his claws burry themselves in the dry savannah-floor when he saw the hyena attacking.  
No exit. How much as he had hoped for it not to have happened, it had. The red button had been pushed, the bombers launched with no return.  
But even now, there was still one lion who stood between the lion-pride and it's apparent fate. That lion was Kovu himself; he still had the power to change destiny. But to do that, he'd have to do the unthinkable, the unspeakable even. If there had been any food in his stomach, he'd have regurgitated it at the mere thought of what he was about to do, of what he was about to do onto Kiara and all other remaining Pridelanders, especially Simba. But his staunch determination to save his pride (the Outlanders) and as much Pridelanders as possible left him with no other choice.

"Outlanders, lions, stay put!" Kovu roared as he turned his back to the Golden River and faced his pride, "I order you not to interfere!"

All lion eyes turned away from the fight, towards Kovu.  
_What_ did he say? Most Outlanders quickly remembered the strange orders they had received only moments before, and they were quick to place those in the right context; the current context. And whether it be because they too realized the dilemma Kovu was facing and voluntarily sided with him on the subject, or because they blindly followed the orders of him whom they had come to consider their _de facto_ king, the Outlanders obeyed. None moved, although each and every single one of them braced just in case Kovu would still decide to order the charge.   
But in stark contrast to the Outlanders who were able to interpret Kovu's command and obeyed it, stood the Pridelanders, to whom Kovu's call for inertia sounded nothing less than surreal, and thus the first thing they did was stare at Kovu in utter disbelief. The first lioness to vocalize that feeling was Kiara.

"Kovu?" she cried, hovering somewhere in between despair and disbelief. Kovu didn't respond however; how could he ever explain to the love of his life he just ordered her father to be abandoned, pretty much signing his death-sentence. He couldn't even stand to look her in the eyes. But in looking away, he told Kiara all she needed to know.  
As Kiara's throat went dry and tears began welling up in her eyes, she cast a quick glance at the other side of the Golden river. She could see the hyenas pouring down into the dried-up riverbed, poised to strike at Simba.

The hyena clan had reacted considerably more predictable to the events that had unfolded in the sands of the Golden River than the lion pride had. This was of course somehow what a result of the purge to have taken place prior too the meeting with the lions; there was no internal division comparable to the Pridelander-Outlander rivalry within the lion pride. Not anymore, that is.  
Anyway, their reaction to the unfolding events had been, as stated, perfectly by the book: any lions observing them had, the moment Vincent had engaged Simba, seen a first wave of hyenas, headed by a strangely grey-maned female, storm down their riverbank, towards the fight in the middle of the Golden River. After them, more hyenas followed, probably the less watchful ones. Not before long, almost all hyenas had made their way down into the golden river, save for a small contingent of wounded that were still recovering from the Battle of Priderock (but had insisted to come along to the 'negotiation', in stead of stay behind with the pups at an undisclosed location).  
But in spite of the hyenas quick response, they were unable to get to their leader on time.

After Simba had tossed aside the hyena, he had turned his attention to Vitani. Thanks to the tunnel-vision he had by now developed, he was pretty much oblivious to the fact that a genuine wave of hyenas was coming his way: he only focused on Vitani, who was putting up quite the fight. One should of course expect no less of her: she had been trained from infancy to fight not hyenas, cheetahs or leopards, but other lions, and she had gathered a lot of experience at the Battle of the Reunion. Plus, she was extremely agile, young and in better condition than the aging Sima. But she would soon find out all those qualities would not be enough, for she faced no ordinary lioness, but Simba, the Lion King.   
Apart from being much stronger and heavier built because he was a lion and not a lioness, Simba too possessed an incredible amount of lion versus lion combat-experience: he had fought and defeated Scar, he had fought his way out of an ambush involving the entire Outlander pride and he had also faced Zira, Vitani's mother and tutor. And although Simba was older than Vitani, his short-term condition was vastly superior to hers: the lioness still felt the effects of her exhausting journey she had been on with Vincent.  
In short: she was no match for Simba (even though one of his fore-paws was so mangled by Vincent's bite it was a miracle it hadn't come of yet).  
After he created some distance in between them by kicking Vitani in the abdomen with his back-paws, Simba viciously lashed out with his paw that still worked. As Vitani had taken a serious blow when she had been hit in the stomach, she was unable to shield her face from the next hit. She yelled in agony as Simba's claws penetrated deep into her flesh. Then, in a sudden upwards sweep, his claw moved up, ripping through the tissue above Vitani's left eye-socket. As the pain became unbearable, all turned black before Vitani's eyes, and she imagined she had fainted. She was wrong, however, as she lost consciousness moments later, when Simba, having to make up for his useless left-paw, knocked Vitani out with a violent head-but. Vitani's now limp body flew backwards, leaving behind her a trail of falling blood drops in the air as her severely bleeding head fell down.  
As Simba bowed towards the frail Vitani who lay in the tussled, red and brownish discolored sands, he doubted whether he should strike at her defenseless and feeble body yet again to finish her. In suppressing his instincts and adrenaline rush, however, he decided not to: he had never been a killer, and wasn't planning on starting now. He'd spare the rebellious lioness.  
But then, suddenly, as he still stood bent over Vitani, he was once again jumped at, albeit with limited success this time. It was the hyena: he had somehow managed to get up again! But Vincent's attempt at stopping Simba, whom he presumed had been on the verge of killing Vitani, was more of a symbolic act aimed at distracting Simba until anyone else were to show up than an actual effort to disable Simba: even now, as he tried snapping at Simba, the hyena coughed up entire pints of blood out of his rib-punctured lung. Aware of the pathetic state his foe was in, Simba wasted little time at finishing him: one well-aimed punch at the hyena's throat shattered his windpipe. With smothered, spastic gulps, Vincent collapsed, able to take in air nor cough up blood. Left as is, his death would be a slow and terrible one, Simba considered, and although he was facing a hated enemy, it was also a living creature that deserved no such suffering. But Simba's attempt at ending the hyena's suffering was brutally cut short, for Shetani and her company had just arrived on the scene… too late.

* * *

Realizing all those hyenas were headed towards her father, Kiara turned back to Kovu, more desperate than ever.

"Kovu, what is this? Do something!"

But Kovu just bowed his head in silence for a second, after which he lift it back up an finally looked Kiara in the eyes. That was a face she hadn't seen anyone make ever before: Kovu's eyes were cold as stone yet gleaming with tears, his stare utterly desperate yet determined. Kiara needed no further explanation, and neither did any of the other Pridelanders: Kovu had betrayed and abandoned their king.

"No! Dad!" Kiara screamed just before running towards the Golden River in a poorly conceived and desperate attempt to safe her father. But before she had even taken two steps, Enyi's weight already pressed her to the ground. All lions around them watched in shock as their princes was being pinned down by two Outlanders. Despite her screams and struggling, none came to free Kiara from the protection against herself she was experiencing.  
Now that it became clear the Outlanders weren't planning on providing Simba with any help, the Pridelanders didn't waste any more time and collectively tried surging forward. The three Pridelanders that had been stationed with the Outlanders and thus hadn't taken part in the Battle of Priderock were the first to rush forward, and despite some decent attempts, the Outlanders were unable to stop them.  
The former prisoners, however, were not able to break through the Outlandish cordon surrounding them, mostly because of the bad shape they were in after having been wounded at Priderock.

One lioness, however, proved determined enough to reach the Golden River. As with most Pridelanders, Kovu didn't know her name or even recognized her. Al he could see was that it was a young lioness that rushed towards the Golden River, a young, limping lioness with the most elegant figure, despite several fresh wounds that covered her body, and a bitterly determined stare. Incredibly fast despite her wounds, the lioness slipped past Kovu before he even realized she was there, and jumped off the riverbank into the Golden River.

"My king!" was all Kovu could hear her yell as she was about to make her way towards Simba. It seemed no-one would be able to stop her from reaching Simba – and a certain doom; noble and courageous… but a certain death nonetheless. Suddenly, however, one of the Outlanders broke the ranks and started pursuing the runaway Pridelander. Kovu immediately recognized her lean, typically Outlandish appearance: Anana.  
Halfway to where the fight in which Simba was involved in was taking place, Anana caught up with the other lioness. With one swoop, she knocked away the other lioness' back-paws, causing her to trip and come to a sliding stop in the sand. Before the lioness got the chance to get up again, Anana already had her paws on the lioness' back, pushing her onto the ground. And even though the lioness struggled and yelled to be released, Anana did not yield, but in stead kept the Pridelander firmly pressed to the ground.

"Aah! Let me go! Get of me, I've got too…"

"No! It's no use, I'm not letting you throw your life away in vain!"

"You!" the lioness gasped in anger as she recognized the other lioness' voice, "How dare you, backstabbing rat! Does your treason know no boundaries? Let me go, I have to help my king!"

But as she was yelling at Anana, it became apparent the lioness was starting to realize she was going nowhere. No-one would be saving her king. The mere thought of it made her voice turn from enraged to filled with sorrow.

"Let me go, I have to help my king! Let me help him… why doesn't anyone help him…" she wailed desperately, as her gleaming eyes stared at the still struggling Simba "No! My king… Simba…"

As Nala was the only one to immediately recognize both lionesses, both the bold Pridelander and the Outlander that tried keeping her from harm, only she could actually realize the absurdity of the situation to the fullest, for the runaway Pridelanders was no other than Kani. The same Kani that had viciously terrorized Anana for hours on end had just been saved the very lioness she had insulted so. And the most awkward part was she didn't want to be saved at all. And meanwhile, all Outlanders around Nala still stood idle as Simba fought for his life…

"Oh my poor Simba… this is madness!" Nala cried out in tears, "Kovu, please, I'm begging you, help him! Help your king!"

But Kovu didn't even do as much as turn around to respond to the desperate queen's plea; he had already declined one request from Kiara, why not decline this one as well?  
The queen had had a point though: this whole situation was indeed utter madness, his own inertia most of all. Kovu was perfectly aware of the seemingly cruel and cowardly nature of what his actions (or non-actions); how else could one describe what Kovu was doing? What other words could fit him as he sat there, silently staring at the tragedy taking place right under his very eyes?  
For that was what Kovu did: he just stared at the events unfolding.  
He stared as Simba hit Vitani's hyena on the throat.   
He stared when the other hyenas reached Simba and immediately engaged him, the first wave counting no less than ten adversaries. Six years ago, at the first Battle of Priderock, he might have just been able to deal with that kind of opposition. But Simba had aged since then, and the hyenas he had defeated six years earlier were radically different from those he was facing now, trained and disciplined as they were. Simba fought valiantly and ruthlessly, but it was of no use: more hyenas reached him with each passing second, among them a one eyed hyena that Kovu somehow seemed to recognize, though he couldn't tell from when or where.  
By the time the three Pridelanders that had broken loose from the pride made it to the fight, Simba had already been surrounded, and the lionesses couldn't even breach the outer pack of opponents. Pretty soon, they too were engulfed in enemies.  
Kovu found it hard to tell exactly how much enemies Simba was able to slay: he hit and bit a lot of foes, but never seemed to have enough time to focus on one particular hyena. His kills could probably be counted on the toes of one (perhaps two) paws, for the barrage of bites he was subjected to quickly brought the mighty king down: in mere moments, he disappeared below a mass of enemies. Kovu respectfully bowed his head, fearing the worst. Then, suddenly, he heard the most awful of roars, one that sent a shiver through Kovu's entire body. He looked up again, just in time to see Simba rise up out of the flood of opponents once again.

"Kovu!" the king roared. For a split second, both lions seemed to be looking each other right in the eyes. Staring at Simba's blood-stained face, Kovu imagined he saw signs of acceptance: as the king looked at his most likely successor, he finally realized that no help was coming, no charge of Outlanders would save him, and no Kings of Old would descent from the heavens to come to his aid; they'd probably only be waiting for him to join them any time now.  
And as Kovu saw that Simba had accepted his course of action, he could only pray that the king understood it as well. He hoped Simba realized just why Kovu could not come to his aid, and even barred others from trying.

It had not been an easy decision to make, far from it, make no mistake about it: standing and waiting while his king got butchered had not been easier on Kovu than it had been on anyone else. The only difference with other lions (save for a few extremely bright and pragmatic lionesses) had been that Kovu knew why he did what it was he did; he did it out of pure necessity. Cold and calculated necessity.  
Of course, Kovu's one true desire at the time hadn't differentiated that much from that of the lionesses around him: he too had wanted nothing more than to storm down in one last heroic charge to safeguard his king. But he realized that would have been foolish, despite all it's heroism.   
True, a dedicated lion-charge might have momentarily saved Simba. But then what? Their entire pride would become embroiled in a slaughter without precedent, another clash with the same hyenas that had only days before scored a historic victory over the lions. The ensuing battle would have been one they could not have won. And even if, by some slim chance, the lions would have defeated the enemy, too few lions would have been left to claim victory. Was that what Kovu wanted, yet another bloodbath to claim the lives of so many fine lionesses, a bloodbath that would destroy their pride, even in victory? No. He couldn't let that pass, ever. He was not about to sacrifice the pride simply because it would be the honorable thing to do, even though doing what was honorable would have been so much easier to do, and so much more easier to accept for his pride. Indeed, sometimes it takes a lion more courage to be a coward than it would take him to become a hero.  
That knowledge did little to soothe Kovu's enormous feeling of guilt, though, for choosing not to give in to the urge for heroism had also meant sacrificing Simba. One could state Simba's downfall had been the king's own doing and his own fault, but he to claim such thing would have been wrong, for Simba befell no blame for what Kovu was concerned. Simba had always been a just and merciful king, and he had always done what was right in his eyes and based on his knowledge. His minor shortcomings, like his sporadic impulsiveness, did nothing to change that. Even his harsh stance for what concerned the hyenas could not really be blamed upon him: that had only been the logical consequence of his course of life and thus lay beyond his will. In effect, Simba was just another victim of the tragedy called war. And the thought of voluntarily leaving Simba to die made Kovu sick to his stomach.

As she realized her life partner could not possibly be saved anymore, Nala inevitably burst out in tears (not unlike most other lionesses, even Outlanders, who bowed their heads and wept in silence as Simba's fate became sealed), but not before venting her thoughts about Kovu one last time.

"Kovu, you monster! You left Simba to die, you heartless bastard! You couldn't care less, you let all this pass just so you could call yourself a king!"

Kovu slowly turned his eyes away from the battlefield, towards Nala, not knowing whether he should burst out in anger or in tears. It became anger.

"My sister is out there!" he shouted at the still heartbroken Nala, whilst ostentatiously pointing at the fight behind him, "How dare you even consider I would just leave her to her fate? I wouldn't even give that as much as a thought, even if it would make me the lord and master over all the plains of Africa. What I do here, I do for you, all of you! I do this for our pride! Don't you think I too feel grief at what is happening to our poor king?"

For the first time in days, he was able to pronounce the words 'our king' without a distinct ironic taste to it whilst referring to Simba.

"But as much as my sister and Simba's fate troubles me, I have no choice but to accept it. If they are what it takes to save all of you, our pride, than so be it! Such is a choice no-one should ever be forced to make… but I was, and I have chosen my path. You may scold me all you like for making the decision I made, I deserve no better, but don't you dare even suggest I did this for personal gain, or for the mere title of 'king'!"

* * *

How strange a thing that, even though their coming had been aimed at saving him, none of the hyenas seemed to care for Vincent as soon as they reached the scene: they immediately went after Simba, who stood over their leader's body, poised to deliver a finishing bite.  
As Vincent lay suffocating on the ground, losing parts of consciousness at rapid pace, it didn't take him long to realize his hours were numbered, regardless of his clanmates' intervention.  
Realizing you will never again be able to look upon the stunning grace of an African sunrise, the simple joy of a young pup messing around or the soothing smile on a loved one's face is not at all agreeable, nor is bleeding to death and choking at the same time. But for all the things he stood to lose forever, there was still one joy Vincent could live before darkness were to take him.  
With the little strength he had left in his broken and mangled body, he slowly dragged himself towards where Simba had just been standing. Meanwhile, the fight with the lion king raged on relentlessly, with fellow hyenas crashing down in the sand all around Vincent. A few of them never got up again. As he got closer to his target, Vincent felt the pain in his chest and throat intensifying beyond what he had thought tolerable, whilst most other sensory perceptions started whittling down and even disappearing altogether. His vision blurred rapidly, and even his memory started to fade, forgetting all that was happening around him. There was only one thought left that still dominated his mind and actions.

_Almost… just give me those few second to get that bit further…_

Then, finally, after what had seemed to be an endless ordeal (but was in fact jut traversing no more than two meters), he made it: by extending is right left paw, Vincent's toe-tips touched one of the unconscious Vitani's stretched-out paws. In that one last touch lay all the courage and comfort Vincent needed to let go… and so he did.

* * *

After and endless stream of bites and scratches, Simba finally disappeared out of sigh, collapsing because of pain, blood-loss and who knows what else. Kovu lost sight of him as he collapsed and seemed to become covered in hyenas. This was the end for the lion king. About simultaneously with their king, two of the Pridelanders to have come to his aid were defeated as well; one had her neck broken between hyena-jaws, the other her entire forepaw torn off, after which she quickly succumbed because of her massive bleeding. The third one, however, seeing as how her king was gone, her allies killed and no help was coming, was able to, in a desperate rush, break through the hyena lines. As soon as she had broken free, getting severely wounded whilst she did, she tried sprinting towards the riverbank upon which sat Kovu and _his_ pride. This was something the black-maned lion had not been expecting: if the lioness made it back to his riverbank, they'd have to engage the handful of hyenas that were pursuing her, and the battle he had so desperately been avoiding would still take place. But this time around, the hyenas themselves solved the problem, and by that I did not mean the hunted down the lioness: from somewhere within the mass of hyenas, a single order resounded.

"No, stop this! No further!"

And just before the hyenas reached Anana and Kani, who still lay in the sand, Anana still holding Kani, they hesitatingly slowed, and eventually came to a stop, looking back at their clan.

"This has gone on for way too long, all of you back off!"

The hyenas seemed somehow what confused, and apart from the hyenas that had been pursuing the surviving Pridelander (who had by now already made it up the riverbank again), no-one really backed off as ordered. That is, not until one particular hyena, the one with the strange, grayish manes, who was by now covered in scratch-marks from her prominent role in taking down the Lion King, repeated that order.

"You heard our matriarch, back-off! Take twenty paces in the direction of the southern riverbank and regroup. This fight is over…"

Now with considerably more confidence (and more specific directives), the hyenas started moving back, regrouping into some sort of formation, dragging along the wounded that could no longer stand on their own paws. What remained were the dead, who only now became clearly visible. At the center of the battlefield lay Simba's enormous body, surrounded by four hyena carcasses. Towards the lions side of the Golden River lay the two Pridelanders to have fallen, along with three more hyenas. And finally, a bit more towards where the clan sat, lay the two figures that seemed out of place: an Outlander and a hyena, their paws seemingly extended at one another, the toes of their left forepaws just touching. Both the pride and the clan silently watched the blood-stained scene for a moment.  
Seeing their king, their Simba, actually laying down in the now brownish discolored sands, the surviving Pridelanders could no longer escape the hard truth: the king was no more. Even the Outlanders seemed affected by the current state of their former ruler, and quite a few looked away in tears. On the other side, feelings were no different: the hyenas too had lost one of their most prominent leaders, and he too now lay dead in the sands of the Golden River. In spite of that, the hyenas remained calm enough to back up their cohort even further, until all of them once again sat on their respective riverbank. That made one thing clear: they had understood Kovu's intentions. And even though they had not hesitated to spring to their leader's aid when he had been in danger, now that he was dead and now that they had seen what Kovu had gone through to distance himself from the fight that had caused his demise, their current actions gave a clear message: what just happened was a mistake, a terrible and tragic mistake, but for the sake of both our clans, let us not repeat it.  
Kovu was more than willing to see to that, but first things first: his pride had just lost their king, and it would be monstrous not to allow the lionesses to mourn his passing. The hyenas withdrawal from the Golden River was more than helpful in the matter, giving the lions a chance to reach their leader without risking too much provocation.  
Kovu walked over to Kiara and Nala.

"My queen, my princess… please, follow me…"

The stare he got from Kiara surpassed all other things to have hurt Kovu in his lifetime: it was cold and full of hatred, and no attempt was made to hide her utter despise for Kovu. He was quick to realize why she looked at him like that, but that knowledge made his one true love's hateful stare no easier to bare. Kiara looked at him not as her beloved Kovu anymore, but she looked at him as the lion who had stood by and did nothing as her father had been slaughtered. Kovu would from now on have to learn and live with that; yet another sacrifice he had to make for the pride's continued existence. That being said, it was no surprise the lionesses were reluctant to follow.

"We're going to see the king…" Kovu sighed to convince them. It worked, but in stead of following Kovu, both lionesses independently started walking towards where Simba lay, not even granting Kovu as much as a stare. That hurt. But he'd have to learn and live with it.  
With a discrete gesture, Kovu ordered Enyi to follow him as he too started walking towards the center of Golden River, where Simba still lay. The rst of the lionesses he ordered to stay put. On their way down, the four lions passed Kani and Anana, the grimly frowning Anana still on top of the weeping Kani.

"It's over, there's no need for you to keep her pressed down like that. Come on, get up, both of you…" Kovu grumbled, "Lets go see the king…"

Looking at each other with saddened yet suspicious eyes, both lionesses hesitatingly got up and followed Kovu as he walked towards the fallen Simba. Nala and Kiara had already sat down next to their partner and father, carefully stroking and embracing the huge lion, whilst letting their tears run freely.  
Kani, who had always seen her king as some sort of demigod, was equally moved and shuffled closer to Simba as well, and both Nala and Kiara allowed her to come sit alongside them, seeing in Kani the representative for all the pride.  
As all three lionesses knelt at their deceased king, the red sun that had been bathing the entire seen in a ghastly reddish light, finally set, and with it ended the last day of King Simba's reign, a reign that would be remembered for generations to come, and strangely enough not only by the lion pride. Simba's years would over time become a concept onto themselves, but until that time, the lionesses were left with nothing than their grief.  
It goes without saying, however, that Kovu and Anana were allowed nowhere near the body of the deceased king by the other lionesses; Kiara and Nala felt resentment against Kovu, and Kani couldn't stand the mere presence of Anana (ignoring the fact it had been Anana to save her life).  
Then again, Kovu hadn't really come down into the Golden River to mourn Simba (though he would most certainly do so at a latter time), but had in stead come to check on that other lion who lay down there: Vitani, his sister. He cautiously moved closer to where she lay, followed by Enyi and Anana in his wake.  
All three of them were ecstatic when they saw Vitani's chest was still gently moving up and down; she was still breathing! That of course didn't mean Vitani was perfectly all right, however, as the area around her left eye had been completely devastated by Simba's claws. But that was only of secondary importance; what mattered was that Vitani lived, for now. And even though she had lost quite some blood, she'd probably make it anyhow, that is if she were to receive adequate care from her pride. Her brother would certainly see to that.  
Careful not to hurt her, Kovu gently stroked Vitani across her forehead. She groaned gently at the feel of his touch.

"Hush, it's okay… don't push yourself…" Kovu whispered. As was to be expected of her, Vitani paid little attention to what her brother said and hesitatingly opened her eyes. When she recognized Kovu, she tried getting up, which took her great effort. Kovu was quick to step in and support her side with his strong paws as she tried sitting upright.

"Easy now, easy now… don't hurt yourself…"

"Kovu, is that you?" Vitani uttered exhausted, "I… I can't see you that well… It's… aah! My eye! It hurts!"

"Calm down, I said calm down!" Kovu grumbled as he tried keeping Vitani from reaching up with her paw towards her wounded eye, "Night has fallen, your eyes probably have to adjust... and you've got a nasty wound to the head. No, don't touch it! Wait, here let me just…"

Whilst still keeping his holding his sister tight, Kovu moved his head closer to hers and started licking clean Vitani's wound. She of course squealed in pain as he did, but Kovu's muscular paws prevented her from backing away. But as he was licking her wound clean with his rough tongue, Kovu suddenly felt his emotions welling up, and got a sudden urge to hug his sister whom he had presumed dead.

"Oh Vitani… thank the Spirit's your still okay!" Kovu mewled quietly as he pressed his head tightly at his sister's neck.

"Aw!"

"I'm sorry! Did I do something wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I'ts nothing – but don't hug me so tight… I'm still hurting all over…and my eye…"

"I'm sure it'll be all right," Kovu lied, "It's just got some blood in it now. Once we've cleaned that out, you'll using it again in no time."

Kovu licked Vitani's wound again.

"It' good to see your okay; you've been living way too dangerous – I don't think I could stand almost losing you again."

In stead of using words, Vitani chose to thank her brother for his concern with an embrace. The fact that her brother had not come to her help when she had been fighting for her life didn't even spring to her mind, probably because she didn't know what had happened after she had lost consciousness yet. But she quickly found out: as he head rested in Kovu's shoulder, she got was able to look at the scene behind him. She saw Simba, the mourning lionesses and all the dead hyenas. She abruptly backed away from Kovu.

"Kovu… what has happened here?" she gasped as she looked at all the carcasses, and the lion pride sitting on their riverbank. She slowly turned around. First thing she saw was the clan, sitting on the other riverbank. And then, a lot closer to where she sat, right next to her even, she noticed a messy pile of spotted fur.

"But that is…" Vitani uttered in dismay, "Oh no… no… that can't be…"

"I'm sorry, Vitani… he was already gone before we even got here."

"Oh no… no, please no…" Vitani wailed as she hesitatingly tried to touch the paw that Vincent had tried extending at her. Only being able to see out of one eye, she found it difficult to estimate just how close the dead hyena lay.  
His paw still felt warm. She moved closer and sat down right in front of him. She gently stroked first his paws, then his neck and eventually his manes, somehow hoping he would suddenly let loose a single groan. But she knew that wasn't happening; Vincent wasn't breathing, he wasn't moving, his eyes were shut and his otherwise yellowish fangs were colored red because of his own blood.

"No… please, no…" Vitani still wept, even in the full knowledge Vincent was gone. She carefully took his head between her forepaws and preeded her nose onto the manes on the top of his head, between his ears.

"This is all my fault…" Vitani sobbed heartbroken.

"Don't blame yourself…"

"But it is my fault! I provoked Simba, he attacked because of me. And Vincent died coming to my aid…"

"No, it's not your fault; this was all bound to happen anyway. This had been bound to happen for years. You just had the bad luck of being at the wrong place on the wrong time," Kovu replied, putting on of his paws on Vitani's shoulders, gently rubbing hence and forth, "We all had the misfortune of being at the wrong place on the wrong time, even Simba…"

As Kovu pronounced those words, he could suddenly see one of the hyenas that had been sitting atom the riverbank coming their way, slowly and carefully. She looked quite big, for a hyena, and had a strange, greenish bird on her shoulder.  
Seeing as she came alone, Kovu remained calm, and he signaled at the pride to do the same. The hyena to approach them looked a bit like the one Vitani was mourning over, except for her longer manes and her unusual grey eyes, gleaming in the pale moonlight. Save for Vitani, she was the first mammal Kovu had ever come across to have bluish eyes. She halted at a respectable distance.

"You can come closer if you want to," Kovu mumbled at her, "We won't bite. Seriously, we won't."

That being said, the hyena moved closer, still careful though. As she did, Kovu noticed her eyes too were gleaming with tears. It made her more or less look like Vitani, Kovu considered.  
After a first hesitation, which was removed when Vitani nodded at the newcomer, the blue-eyed hyena also sat down next to the dead body, equally mournful as Vitani was. Meanwhile, the green bird hopped on the ground and moved closer to Kovu. Kovu considered having seen the green hornbill somewhere before.

"Have we met?"

"No, I'm afraid we haven't, though I'm pretty sure I know who you are… Kovu, right? Son of…"

"Son of Taka and Zira, yeah. King of the Outlanders," Kovu grumbled a bit annoyed, "And how come I recognize you but can't tell who you are?"

"I'm Tiko, Zazu's nephew. You probably knew him. We sort of looked alike, except for the obvious difference in color…"

_That, and you look a bit more plump…_

"Ah… that's odd… and you work for her?" Kovu frowned, "Isn't that a bit unusual for Zazu's nephew, working for hyenas?"

"I get that question a lot, and no, I don't consider 'working' for them any weirder than 'working' for lions. And it's not really working, they just tolerate me and I give them some advice if necessary. As matter of fact, I had been assigned by Rafiki to try and help him out," Tiko explained, pointing at Vincent's body.

"Sorry to hear that…"

"Thanks… I didn't really know him that well yet… but we got along pretty good… until further notice, I'm helping out his sister."

"So they're related? I figured as much…," Kovu frowned, "So that's his sister, I presume?"

"Indeed, his sister. Shenya, Matriarch of the Clan."

"That's me…" Shenya suddenly sniveled as she looked up from Vincent's body, still stroking his back with one of her paws, "Some matriarch I make…"

"So you're the one who's calling the shots in all this?" Kovu wondered, "Shouldn't you have some protection with you?"

"You went to immense troubles to prevent your pride from clashing with her clan, so much even we could tell from looking at you. I doubt you'd let that all be in vain now by attacking her," Tiko noted coolly.

"Touché. Well… I guess, seeing as you're the hyena in charge I should be congratulating you and your clan with a historic victory," Kovu spoke at Shenya not at all without cynicism.

Shenya looked up from the remains of her dead brother to stare at Kovu with eyes devoid of all hope.

"You call this a victory?" she snickered, "My brother is dead, your king is dead, my clan has been decimated, and so has your pride. And for what? All because we wanted stupid vengeance, all that for that blood-drenched rock? This is no victory… this is… it's just insane!"

"Finally something we can agree on…" Kovu smiled in sorrow, "It is insane, isn't it?"

As Kovu had been speaking, Rafiki and Kiruhu had discretely crept closer, having noticed the arrival of the hyena matriarch after Rafiki had just briefly paid his respects to Simba. But as he still considered the living a priority over the dead, he had postponed his mourning to go check out what it was that Kovu and the hyena exactly had to say. Kovu suddenly spotted Rafiki.

"Ah, the baboon… or was it mandrill? Bah, that doesn't really matter, now does it... I have been expecting you..." Kovu grumbled, "You know, Rafiki, I think I finally figured it out. Just now. I think I finally figured out the Circle of Life. Are you all listening? Rafiki, hyena? Sis? You want to know? I figured out just what the Circle of life is all about…  
On first glance, it is simple: each of us, all things to live and breathe, all of us, we live only by the death of others, but when our time comes, we too give life to something else in our demise. When we die, we become the grass that feeds the zebra, and the Zebra is what feeds us. But the Circle goes much further than that: it also encompasses the never-ceasing alternations that make up our lives. Life and death, day and night, rains and drought… they are all exteriorizations of that same ongoing Circle. This, we can not hope to fight for it holds the very essence of life…"

Rafiki was impressed. Kovu was the first one to have reached such a thorough understanding of the Circle of Life with so little education in the matter. But To Rafiki's surprise, there was more.

"… as such, it seems almost impossible to grasp why one would ever want to try and betray the Circle, how can one betray the essence of life, as my parents supposedly did? The answer is simple: one cannot.  
It can never have been my parents intention to betray the Circle of Life. But what was it then they supposedly betrayed? To know that, one must first realize something else: much like water in a river in which one swims, the Circle of Life surrounds us all, in all we do, at any time. But water drenches our fur and gets stuck to it, and it's weight slows and even drags us down, making the life-giver that is water also a menace. So is it with the Circle of life: because we are always surrounded by it, the Circle too gets stuck too our fur, and it too slows us down. Because of our constant exposure to it, we have started internalizing and applying the Circle's principals onto things that need not at all follow it's logic, thus creating corrupted processes that seem a part of the Circle, but are really nothing but our own inventions, our own flawed models. The Circle of Life becomes an excuse, unintentionally, to explain and support our self-invented theories."

This part Rafiki already liked a whole lot less. What was it young Kovu was getting at, what was it he thought to have discovered? It didn't sound like anything good. To Shenya, however, who had only briefly heard of the Circle of Life and previously saw it as nothing but a distant lion-contraption, Kovu's explanation felt enlightening: someone finally bothered to explain the Circle to a hyena, down to it's very finesse. Meanwhile, Kovu carried on, seemingly only having eye for his own thoughts and theories, forgetting about the grieving world around him.

"It are these corrupted theories that use the Circle as a shield we often mistake as being the essence of the Circle, even when they are perverted and flawed. This is why my parents tried combating the Circle: they saw only our own flawed models and theories that used the Circle as a mere excuse. And these flawed, corrupted theories are very persistent, two of them most of all: the first one being that a king always has to be followed by his son in order to keep the Circle going; whilst this has absolutely nothing to do with the Circle of Life, which by definition stands above such futilities as succession within a simple pride of lions. The second persistent theory which hided behind the Circle is the ongoing, never-ending duality between lions and hyenas. Is it not right, hyena, that you have always been taught, from infancy, to consider us lions your enemy?"

Shenya nodded. Kovu was right.

"Well, the same goes for us. We are raised to hate your kind, it is as if we _have _to fight you. And when we stop to ask why it is we fight continuously, all we are told is it's because of the Circle of Life, and we cannot ignore the Circle, we have to live by the paths it sets… but whatever does that mean?"

"It means hyenas are no part of the Circle," Rafiki coldly noted, "How can you do anything else than detest that which is no part of the Circle?"

What nonsense was it that Kovu was making up, Rafiki silently thought.

"They are not? Strange... Are they not born as we are, don't they live as we do and, eventually, don't they die as well? And if they die, do they too eventually not become the grass that feeds our prey? Well, don't they? Because if they do, why on earth would they too not be part of the Circle, because you say so, maybe? I think what you and I say has very little influence over the Circle... No, my friend, hyenas too are part of the Circle."

"I thought you understood what the Circle was about, but apparently I was wrong…" Rafiki muttered, annoyed at Kovu's defiance, "How dare you even doubt the most basic of knowledge? Hyenas are no part of the Circle."

"I could sit here and argue," Kovu smiled defiantly, "But I could also tell you why you are so reluctant to accept the fact hyenas are a part of the Circle. It is because _you are afraid_ to face the _consequences_. Because if they are a part of the Circle, the only way to explain our rivalry whilst blaming it on the Circle is if our rivalry were to follow it's rules. Have you ever tried that, Rafiki, actually putting the lion-hyena rivalry in the Circle's context?"

"This is preposterous!" Rafiki sighed, "Our king lays dead in the sands and you are lifting his killers up into the Circle of Life!"

"No, you are preposterous to still defend this perverse theory that has already claimed so many lives!" Kovu sneered, "Now, since you seem unable to do so, I shall explain the consequences of your theory when you actually apply the Circle's logic to it.  
If our rivalry with the hyenas is a part of the Circle, it follows by the Circle's rules... and is thus first and foremost alternating... this means, in our context, that the supremacy over Priderock and the lands to surround it does not belong to one of our races, but in stead alternates. It may take generations, but when a Lion King sits atop Priderock, it is only a matter of time before he is replaced by a Hyena Queen. Lion and hyena will then switch, not unlike day and night follow each other in sucession, and with it male and female supremacy will alternate as well. If this whole mess we are in now is indeed caused by the Circle, than we can stop arguing: Priderock belongs to the hyenas from now on... well, how does that sound, hyena?"

"I'd rather see my brother and all my fallen sisters by my side than sit atop that stupid piece of rock..."

"I can imagine. But wait, there is more: if we fight each other because of the Circle, our fight will be as a circle; it has no beginning, no end and no pauze in between. It just goes on endlessly without end. Hyena, you may today sit atop Priderock, but know this: even now, the next cycle in the Circle is already being prepared. Look behind me, where our once mighty king now lays dead: at his side sits my partner, Kiara, daughter of king Simba and only heir to Priderock.  
She will become the mother to my children, the heirs to the both the Outlands and the Pridelands. Kiara has lost her father and Priderock to you hyenas, and the cubs that she will one day give birth to will be raised by her to have but one desire: take back Priderock from the hated enemy. If we lions are to lose Priderock today and you become the new rulers of the Pridelands, know that somewhere in the wilderness to the north a new king will one day be born, and his only goal in life will drive you hyenas away from the Rock. Me and you may not live to see it, but if our rivalry is indeed a part of the Circle, it will one day happen that lions will take back the Pridelands, driving the hyenas into the wilderness again. And so, the cycle will start all over again, and our descendants shall know nothing but hate and bloodshed from here 'till eternity..."

"But that is... pointless!" Shenya shouted, "That is just cruel, pointless madness."

"It is, isn't it? I think my father saw that too... but the only one who would know would off course be Rafiki here," Kocu nodded, "Well, Rafiki, was that what drove my father to break the Circle, among with so many other reasons? Did he realize the pointlessness of it all?"

Kovu had more or less expected an aggressive outburst, or a flood of insults aimed at Kovu's father Taka. But none of that; the mandrill just looked away. For the first time Kovu could remember, the ape seemed to have nothing to say.

"Some tales..." Rafiki ultimately responded, "Some tales are best left untold, for history is complex enough as it is..."

"We'll see about that," Kovu frowned, "You obviously have a lot to tell me, when the time comes... but that matters not, for the time being..."

He turned back to Shenya.

"What matters now is me and you. You now know what would happen if we were to continue our rivalry that has torn these lands apart since the times of Ahadi, what would happen if we kept cultivating our hatred as if it were a part of the Circle..."

"It would take a madman to still keep up this madness in knowing what you told me," Shenya sighed, looking Kovu directly in the eyes. Again, Kovu couldn't help but think of Vitani when he saw Shenya's mesmerizing gray eyes.

"Then it is time we broke this corrupted abomination that is our mutual rivalry based solely on the Circle," Kovu concluded, "Are you prepared to do this?"

"I'd be prepared to do anything to stop all this bloodshed... your pride and my clan deserve better than this. And I'm sure this is what Vincent would have wanted..."

"Alas, I wish I could say the same about Simba..." Kovu considered, a bit down, "My father, Taka might have known what we too know now, known about the pointlessness of keeping up our rivalry, but for all else he wasn't ever half the king Simba was; Simba was a wise, understanding, compassionate, merciful and just king, was always good at heart... But even if this is not what he wanted while he lived, I'm sure he'd have understood."

"If he was truly the king you say he was, I'm sure he would... But now... where do we go now, from here, to break this vicious circle, not of life, but of hate?"

"Well, let me put it this way: we, the leaders of the Clan and the Pride, have agreed to end our hate here and now. This is farther than anyone has ever come, for not even my father Taka achieved this: the peace he forged between us had been forced rather than agreed on, and thus had no chance to stand long," Kovu argued.

"That onto itself is already historic," Shenya smiled for the first time that day, "The road to eliminating the hate between us will be long and hard... too many of us have suffered at the paws of the other's side. For each three steps we take towards final peace, we'll have to go back two steps... And that is only if we are not beset by an unexpected twist of fate..."

"But at least we now know both sides want it to end," Vitani suddenly whispered, engaging in the conversation for the first time, "At least now there is _hope_. I can imagine your brother would be proud of you..."

Vitani's remark once again brought tears to Shenya's eyes. The mangled lioness slowly moved over to the sobbing hyena. Carefully and perfectly predictable (as to avoid any misunderstanding), she put her paw on the matriarchs shoulder. Looking into each other's bluish eyes, they momentarily recognized themselves. A long, tight hug. A symbol of hope for all lions and hyenas to see, even though some found the thought alone repulsing.  
Mutual hate was still the predominant feeling among both races, and it would continue to be for generations. But at least now, there was something else as well: hope.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A soft, cool breeze blew through Kovu's dark manes. It felt remarkably pleasant. He sat and watched as the crowd slowly passed by, and endured their angry stares. Before him walked all remaining Pridelanders, including Kiara and Nala. Each of them carefully held in her mouth a part of Simba, slowly carefully dragging forth his body over the dry savanna-floor. They were on a journey towards Priderock, towards the Tomb of Kings (also known as the green den that had served a a mass-grave for all those fallen at the Battle of Priderock). They would entomb Simba alongside all lionesses that had died defending his pride, near their ancestral home. Of course, Kovu and all other Outlanders had volunteered to help carry the deceased monarch, but their request had been turned down, that of Kovu with a punch to the face from Kiara. They, the cowards and traitors, were not worthy to help carry the fallen hero that was Simba.  
Kovu could understand why they were mad at him, but the punch Kiara had given him still hurt, if not physically, then mentally. Simba had not been the only sacrifice Kovu had had to make on the altar of peace – his relationship with Kiara was now purely ceremonial; she'd never forgive him for what he had done (or rather not done; like not saving her father).  
For the time being, Kovu tried not to think about it. He felt upset enough already without having to realize he had lost the one thing that had, more than one year ago, reunited the fractured lion-pride: Kiara's love. But if the greater good meant losing Kiara's love... so be it.   
In an attempt to divert his thoughts, he turned back to Enyi behind him.

"So, are the hyenas already done moving?"

"Yes, sire. We're free to go anytime."

"Good. Well, what are you waiting for then, get the pride to Priderock," Kovu yawned, "Oh, and Enyi, post some guards outside the tomb, okay? Make sure the Pridelanders don't start messing around inside; it is still a tomb after all."

"Messing around, sir?"

"I'd prefer if they not took the hyena-cadavers that still lie in there out. That'd be in very bad taste... and not in compliance with the new direction we want our pride to head in."

"I will see to it, my liege."

Good, so Enyi was back to her old self – or maybe just not in the mood for joking. For the better.  
As Enyi walked away with all other Outlanders, towards Priderock, Kovu couldn't help but feel a bit lost. What to do now? He didn't feel comfortable going to Priderock whilst Simba was being put to rest, and he wasn't really invited either. Well then, why not seek out his sister again? She was probably around the Golden River, and in her current, wounded state, should not be left alone. Plus, she needed someone to clean her wounds. Off to the Golden River then... although off to 'the border' would be a more appropriate term now that the Golden River was what separated the 'Clanlands' from the 'Pridelands'.  
Indeed, a new and well defined border between their lands had been the first thing Kovu and Shenya had agreed upon; recognizing a border is recognizing the clan our pride that lives across it. Of course, their first thought had been to simply share the lands, but they had quickly realized their subjects were not at all ready for that, and forcing it on them would do more harm than good, as Taka had already proven in the past. But just returning to the status-quo they had before their latest war was just as folly: it would mean a gross denial of the unjust distribution of lands between them. So they had agreed to partition the Pridelands: the lions got all the lands south of Golden River, the bulk of the Pridelands, as well as the most fertile part. The hyenas in turn got all lands north of it, accounting for about one third of the Pridelands, plus the Outlands. That was about an equal split, which still allowed the lions to retain their precious Priderock. No need for one side to be envious of the other, that was a good start.

Kovu slowly walked over to Golden River with a slack pace. Upon arrival, he noticed the river had already been evacuated, save for three lone figures: Vitani, Shenya and the deceased Vincent. Kovu imagined he saw them trying to drag Vincent's carcass onto the riverbank.

"Might I inquire into what it is you are exactly doing?"

"Huh?" Vitani startled, "Kovu? You startled me. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the very same question. But what I find stranger than your presence is hers," Kovu replied, signing at Shanya, "Hyena, shouldn't you be with your clan?"

"I should. But there is something I have to take care of first..."

"Even so, you shouldn't wander off by yourself. Even now, while we are at peace, you should still avoid coming near some... bitter lions, especially not a matriarch like you..."

"You're right," Shenya admitted, "I shouldn't be out here by myself... But this was something me and Vitani had to do alone... and I can imagine being safe now that you're around around."

"Quite. What exactly are you doing?"

"Vitani thought it'd be best if we laid Vincent to rest somewhere appropriate... so we're taking him there now."

"Ah. And where might that be?" Kovu wondered.

"The tomb near Priderock..." Vitani silently whispered, fearing Kovu wouldn't agree with her decision. But strangely enough, he did.

"That is indeed fitting... more than a Royal Tomb, that green den has become a symbol; in it, lions and hyenas are laid to rest side by side. Your friend fits in perfectly, so to speak," Kovu nodded, "But you'll never get there at this pace. Here, let me help you..."

Kovu slowly knelled down, signaling Vitani and Shenya to put the body over his back; Vincent was only a male hyena, they're not an incredible burden to carry.

"Thanks, Kovu..."

"Don't mention it... we should get going – but let us not make too much haste, for we would want to avoid bumping into Pridelanders... It would be very awkward if we were to interrupt them as they say goodbye to Simba..."

That said, the small group silently set out for Priderock, advancing at very slow peace, hardly ever talking. Eventually, after hours of walking, they reached the vicinity of the Royal Tomb. Not before long, one of the Outlanders patrolling around the Royal Tomb noticed them. She looked a bit confused when she saw the unusual trio.

"Don't ask," Kovu yawned even before the lioness got the chance to open her mouth, "We're heading for the Tomb of Kings. You wouldn't happen to know if there are still Pridelanders present, would you?"

"Eh... no, sire. Most left after an hour or so spent mourning... Queen Nala and princes Kiara were the last ones to leave, 'bout half an hour ago..."

"For the better... all right then, let's go. And you," Kovu instructed looking at the lioness, "Make sure no-one interrupts us, all right?"

"Will do."

The Outlander stepped aside and let Kovu, Vitani and Shenya pass. They slowly neared the Tomb. Strangely enough, no eerie smells cluttered the air. Not yet anyhow. Maybe that was because the Tomb always stayed quite cool, the warmth kept out by the lush vegetation surrounding the cave.

"Did she just say Queen Nala and Princes Kiara?" Vitani suddenly asked, "Shouldn't that by now be Queen-mother and Queen?"

"No, not until I'm inaugurated as the new king," Kovy replied, "And that might take a while; Rafiki isn't too motivated. Word has it he wont even make me king, but just name me regent until Kiara's son is born..."

"Oh..."

"I care little; I'm not in it for the titles. Well, here's the place..."

Vitani carefully pushed aside the vines that obscured the low, rocky entrance to the den they now called Royal Tomb. She more or less expected to be greeted by files of corpses all around her, and swarms of flies as well. But to her surprise, she entered a small, empty antechamber. The air felt cool, dry and cool. Still, despite feeling pleasant at first, it was impossible not to recognize the faint yet ever-present atmosphere of death all around her; the place gave her the creeps. Kovu requested both his companions stopped.

"The actual tomb is further down; I'll go alone. You girls shouldn't have to see what's down there..."

How patronizing, Vitani considered, like she hadn't seen anything gruesome before... then again, if she could help it, she'd indeed rather not see what was down there... she'd have trouble enough sleeping as it was.

"Your probably right," Shenya agreed as well, staring at the ground, sounding a somehow what sad, "Just let me say goodbye one last time..."

To accommodate Shenya's wish, Kovu walked over to her and ducked a bit. Now, Vincent's head and paws that hung down Kovu's flank were on equal hight with Senya. She carefully moved closer, and once again, teras sprung to her eyes as she talked.

"Bye, baby brother... I-I know we didn't always get along... I know you did some terrible things. But so did I. Just know... know that I never stopped loving you, even though it didn't always show," she sniveled quietly, carefully stroking her brother. Right after the Battle of Golden River, she had groomed him up a bit, licking away most blood. It made him look peaceful, hanging over Kovu's back. Shenya gently kissed her brother on the forehead.

"Bye..."

Kovu understood Shenya was finished, so just before heading towards the tomb, he addressed his own sister.

"Vitani, you want to say something?"

But Vitani had her back turned at Kovu, and she shook her head. She too way crying, and the tears getting in her wounded eye hurt her, making her cry even more. She wasn't saying anything. She wasn't good at farewells anyhow. Looking at Vitani, Shenya smiled, and bowed her head towards her brother one last time.

"The lioness says 'hi'..." she whispered.  
With those last words, Kovu walked away, deeper into the cave. Shenya and Vitani stared as he disappeared into the darkness, reappearing a few minutes later, now without Vincent's body hanging over his back.

"Let's go..."

the trio silently walked out of the cave again, into the starlit night outside. They all took a deep breath once out, feeling much more comfortable in the warmth they had previously experienced as unpleasant.

"Do you have kids, hyena?" Kovu suddenly asked.

"It shows that bad already?" Shenya smiled absently, "I'm expecting..."

"Congratulations," Kovu replied, "I'm expecting my first kids too... well, not me, Kiara. But you get the point..."

""What magnificent coincidence..."

"Indeed... Maybe it means something."

"Ah?"

"Well... I don't know," Kovu mumbled, "I mean, maybe our kids will be the first to carry on what we started here..."

"That'll be up to us, and that can only be agood thing."

"Yeah... you know, hyena... or no, Shenya, was it? You know Shenya, really not so long ago, I still looked upon your kind as a nuisance... a nuisance we had to take into consideration, sure, but only if that were in the best interest of our Pride. But above all a nuisance. But now..."

Kovu sighed, and took a big breath, looking at Shenya.

"But now... you're so much like us. But then again, you're not. True, we are different. But even so, that didn't stop us from talking to one another, befriending and even helping one another, as my sister and your brother have proven. Both our races belong here, on these lands, at the same time... wouldn't it only be logical then if both our races belonged here together?"

"That's an encouraging thought..."

"You've said it," Kovu grinned, "Maybe one day, the children of our children will sit side by side at Priderock, listening to the stories of our time being told, considering them nothing but a bad nightmare, unable to conceive how it could have ever happened... but I guess that's just a naive dream..."

"Maybe it is," Vitani smiled, with hope glistering in the one still mesmerizing blue eye she had left, "But even so, we should still try to accomplish such future, naive and impossible as it may be. You both owe that to your children, for only in fulfilling that seemingly impossible dream will we be able to assure lasting peace. Only by fulfilling that dream will our children be spared from all the tragedies to have befallen us. That, and that alone is the single greatest achievement our races could ever amount to..."

Looking at his sister and Shenya, sitting together, having heard Vitani's passionate plea of hope, Kovu cast a fond smile at both of them. With their help, Kovu's dream might just come true...  
The dark-maned lion looked up at the by now star-spangled night sky, his head full of thoughts. Were his parents looking down on him from there? Had Simba already joined them? Impossible to say, the stars numbered in the thousands, it was impossible to see if Simba's star had already joined them. Were they proud, both Taka and Simba, despite all Kovu's flaws and wrongs he had wrecked upon them? No-one to walk in the world of the living can tell. But as for me... I choose to believe so.


End file.
